Transformers: Partners
by CDrake
Summary: After the death of the Fallen at the hand of the last Prime, a human spy is caught breaking into NEST and interrogated, his captors suspecting sinister motives. Through a series of events, however, they find this young man fighting with them, finding new purpose among their ranks—and an unexpected partner. Above all, he proves to all that true family is more than blood and energon.
1. Brave New World

NEST regional installation, North Dakota

3 months before the death of the Fallen

A cold wind blew over the Black Hills of North Dakota, pushing dust and sand through the air of a seemingly abandoned military base tucked away from public view. The well-concealed guards toted fully loaded assault rifles, ready to riddle anything they didn't like with bullet-holes. The buildings were dark, lights extinguished on the outside and most of the inside. As a result, none of the guards or other military personnel noticed the passage of a living shadow through a small gap in their tight net of motion sensors and trip lasers into the base's interior.

The shadow moved silently, always sticking to cover and moving like the wind, drawing closer and closer to a building near the center of the base, one that housed a hardlink to NEST's intelligence mainframe. A few moments' time was enough for him to override the keycard system and corresponding electronic lock on the entrance, prompting him to slip inside noiselessly, hacking and looping the cameras as he went. Since the building was restricted to all but the highest-ranking personnel, there were no guards in the interior of the intelligence center, allowing his hack of the security system to make him, for all intents and purposes, invisible.

The shadow made his way to the mainframe access point, using credentials he had taken from a NEST officer a week earlier to get inside the room and activate the hardline server. Pressing the enter key once, he waited a few moments for the system to boot up, watching with intense, dark eyes as the screen turned on, a single point of light in its center yielding to a litany of green-tinted data and files that were invariably marked as some grade of classified. A pair of dark eyes drifted to the upper-left corner, where, no matter where in the mainframe the computer goes, there are always the words, "Networked Elements: Support and Transformers." As the shadow narrowed his eyes, his fingers danced over the keyboard, using the credentials of the officer to access one file in particular: Mission City.

What looked like a rifle-mounted camera showed a chaotic scene of battle, partially obscured by concrete dust and a flurry of moving bodies along a half-collapsed city street. When the picture finally stabilized, the intruder's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but not shock. Beyond the lense of the camera, the soldiers were fighting a single, gigantic robot with a .50 caliber minigun strapped to his right arm and a quad-barrelled missile launcher to his right shoulder. As they exchanged fire, the soldier holding the camera moved into a building, his commanding officer shouting orders at him. Freezing the video briefly, the dark eyes perused the blurry image for a moment before confirming that that officer and the man he'd stolen the access codes and credentials from were one in the same.

Hitting play again, he watched for a few more moments, fast-forwarding to see that the robot fired several missiles and hundreds more rounds at the soldiers, who all seemed too small for him to hit accurately. _With that much firepower,_ he mused darkly, _not sure it even needs to be accurate._ When half the cafe they were hiding in collapsed, the commander, who he identified as a captain by the bars on his collar, seemed desperate, almost panicking as nothing they did seemed to make a dent. Suddenly, the camera turned, and another robot was being wheeled toward them from several blocks over, hitched to a tow truck going in reverse. The bot's hand was morphed into a cylindrical cannon, and its yellow and black body was heavily damaged, especially its missing legs.

As the new combatant was driven toward the attacking monstrosity, it fired twice, unleashing two bolts of concentrated plasma on the unsuspecting enemy. It fired again and again over the course of twenty seconds, a bee-like mask slamming down onto the front of its face as its shots became more and more furious, its shoulders deploying missile launchers and plasma rounds slamming critical points on the enemy, targeting its weapons and armor joints. Finally, as it got within twenty yards, the ally bot fired three times in rapid succession, all three rounds landing dead center, burning a hole straight through the enemy's chest.

Still stunned, the intruder closed the file and accessed another, larger database: NEST Operations. Clicking inside, he saw more camera videos, this time with several other allied robots and squads upon squads of black-clad soldiers working together to take out more red-eyed monsters over the course of the months that followed Mission City. He stroked his chin in thought as he stared at three video feeds side-by-side, all of them evidencing collaboration between these robotic creatures and humanity. A small, contemplative half-smile crept onto his face before he spoke a single word to himself.

"Interesting." Suddenly, interrupting his perusal, a red light flashed in the upper-right corner of the screen-an alarm. Gritting his teeth slightly, the shadow pulled out a USB drive that he had plugged into a side port of the computer, almost the entirety of the database now accessible from nearly any location now that he had built a backdoor into the otherwise closed system.

Hurrying, he closed down the terminal and made a quick exit from the mainframe room. The shouts of rushing soldiers reached his ears, and instead of walking out the same way he came in, the intruder rushed for the stairs, reaching the roof barely a minute later as a squad of soldiers swept through the building. One caught sight of his silhouette and shouted, causing him to break into a sprint toward one side of the six-story roof as they chased after him. As he approached the edge, one of the pursuing soldiers shouted for him to stop.

"You got nowhere to run!"

The shadow smiled. _True,_ he thought, but he kept running full-tilt for the edge, not slowing down even to the last flurried steps as he leapt off the side. The infiltrator could imagine the looks on his pursuers' faces as he took the plunge, presumably to his death. His arms and legs extended outward in an "X" shape as he deployed a wingsuit, the sudden burst of lift and air resistance causing his drop to turn into a sharp glide, his arms sloping upward and causing him to rise slightly with the upward current. The soldiers in pursuit watched with wide-open mouths as he flew past their defenses, past their barracks, and glided straight over the base's wall.

They stared in disbelief, their target's silhouette lit up in the fading moonlight, as he sloped his arms downward and took a nose-dive off the side of the cliff the base was on.

…

Six months later

NEST regional installation, 6 miles outside of Pheonix, AZ

2 months after the death of the Fallen

"We got him!"

Major William Lennox snapped his attention to the analyst who just spoke and rushed over to him, leaning over his shoulder to peer at the computer screen.

"You sure," the commanding officer asked. The analyst responded with a single nod.

"Triangulating now." The entire room stood and stared at the analyst's station, whether they could see the screen or not, tension filling the crowded hangar as humans and several Autobots waited for the answer to a months-long question. The analyst's eyes widened slightly in realization and shock. "Sir, he's-"

"Here," Lennox finished for him, a sharp pang of fear reaching his gut as he rushed toward Ironhide. "He's inside the base! Ironhide!"

The black-painted Autobot nodded his head, needing no explanation as he transformed into a GMC Topkick and opened his passenger-side door. Lennox climbed in, rifle in hand, and slapped a hand on the Bot's dashboard, prompting him to drive out of the hangar at a breakneck speed, four other Autobots following closely along with several occupied NEST vehicles. Lennox's heart pounded in his chest as his nerves started going on overdrive. It had been five months since his credentials and access codes were stolen. Since he had been sent on two international combat missions within the space of a week, he hadn't even noticed they were missing until two days later, one day after they were used to access NEST's encrypted database from a regional site in North Dakota.

The moment he realized something was amiss, he heard about the break-in and ordered his credentials cancelled, but the damage was already done. He had somehow managed to code a remote backdoor into the system's base code. They couldn't remove it without taking the whole system offline and starting from scratch, a process that would have taken weeks, if not months. Despite the gigantic security risk it posed, the higher-ups and even Autobots had decided it was best to leave it be and simply monitor the backdoor for any intrusions, hoping to trace the source if he ever tried to access their systems again. Since then, they had been waiting patiently, waiting for the intruder to take another peek inside Pandora's box.

Everything in him asked, "Why now?" But as his Autobot friend drove him to the point of intrusion on the base, he realized he'd be able to get the answers from the source. Full-grown Decepticons, some of whom were millions of years old, couldn't outrun an Autobot on a good day, much less five Autobots and a half-dozen squads of high-strung NEST personnel. How well could a Pretender possibly do? Throughout the period between the first break-in and the current, they had all virtually dismissed the possibility of their intruder being anything but a Cybertronian, considering the effortless way he hacked into their security systems. Any other possibility seemed, frankly, impossible, or at the very least, highly improbable. But, as Sherlock Holmes once said, "When you remove the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true."

Ironhide and a squad of NEST troopers burst into the building with the intrusion, rushing for the computer room on the second floor, weapons drawn and ready for whatever the Con threw at them. The humans, being the only ones small enough to proceed, stormed the room and confronted the intruder, who was seated with his back to them, fingers frozen over the keys of the computer, the shadows of the room concentrated over him as weak light streamed through the window.

"Freeze!" Lennox yelled out, rifle pointed at the chair's center mass, poised and ready to fire. "Show me your hands, now!" The infiltrator complied, slowly raising his human-looking hands into view, still facing away from them. "Turn around." He didn't move. "Turn around!"

Slowly, the chair swiveled toward the soldiers, revealing a man with black sunglasses on, the curved apparatus concealing his eyes and the surrounding areas, up to his eyebrows, while the shadows covered virtually everything else. A grim expression was on his face, and though Will couldn't see a gun on him, he knew how well Cybertronians could conceal weapons.

"Search him," he told one of his soldiers, who approached the intruder warily, gun lowering slowly as the rest of his squad covered him.

As his hands went for the man's jacket, the infiltrator moved faster than anyone could respond, putting the soldier between himself and the rest of the squad, one arm around his neck, the other holding his sidearm to the soldier's back.

"Let him go. You're only making this worse for yourself."

Will could've sworn he saw a shadowed smirk on the man's face as he shoved the soldier forward, pivoting sharply and leaping toward the window, crashing through the glass and falling two stories to roll on the base's tarmac. Lennox rushed to the window as the target climbed into a steel-colored Lamborghini Embolado, gunning the engine and screeching off as the soldier opened fire, landing a few shots on the car's bulletproof windows and hull. Cursing under his breath, Lennox rushed back toward the entrance, watching as Ironhide and the Autobots started the chase, already in pursuit.

The Lambo turned a corner, narrowly dodging fire from two NEST vehicles and causing them to crash into each other. The Bots split up to cut him off, but the driver was pushing his vehicle to the limits, making turns and maneuvers at angles and speeds most of the soldiers didn't think possible as he dodged his pursuers, ditching or slowing them down one after the next, until only the fastest Bots were still in the chase. Bumblebee and a new Bot, currently in a dark Cybertronian car mode, gave chase, matching every one of their quarry's moves until Bee saw his "partner" break off, seemingly leaving him to chase down the intruder alone. Chirping in annoyance, Bee kept the pressure on, the other driver picking up more speed as its driver-side window lowered.

The yellow bot saw a single human arm extend out the window, its hand holding a handgun and squeezing the trigger, sending a single bullet toward a short crane with a container carrying several crates of ammunition. The bullet, much to Bee's surprise, exploded on impact, shattering the chain and sending the container crashing toward the ground. It broke in half, sending crates of heavy ammunition tumbling out and forcing Bee to readjust. As he avoided a particularly heavy crate, a NEST vehicle cut in front of him, and despite his quick application of brakes, the Bot crashed straight into it.

Having finally lost his pursuers, the infiltrator breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he pulled onto an Arizona highway, too relieved to notice a charcoal-black car pull onto his road coming in the opposite direction. His eyes didn't realize the utterly foreign, alien design of the vehicle until it was too late. The car transformed within the space of a second, and a single, six-foot Cybertanium blade extended from his left arm as it swept toward the center of the Lambo. The vehicle's occupant threw his hands in front of his face as the nearly-indestructible weapon slashed a single, neat line through the center of his car, bisecting the expensive custom-job lengthwise.

The wreck slowly skidded to a halt as its former driver stared back at the Bot that had just robbed him of his wheels, watching as the seventeen-foot, blue-eyed fighter retracted the dagger and drew a large pistol-looking weapon from his right hip, walking calmly toward his side of the wreck. As the Bot's right hand gripped the weapon, his left ripped off the driver-side door, and he stepped back, watching as the half-car's occupant stepped out, hands up, shaking in such a slight degree that humans wouldn't be able to tell, but the Cybertronian could. Suddenly, the Autobot spoke.

"Jig's up, pal."

...

The sunglass-wearing young man stared upward, mouth slightly agape as he examined his catcher, whose voice reminded him vaguely of his own. The Bot's armor was contoured, the slightly jagged edges few and far in between and part of the overall beautiful aesthetic design of his chassis. The charcoal color complimented it well, and gave him an imposing presence, even though he wasn't as tall as some of the other Bots present. The Bot's head was shaped like his own, with crested ears that looked like metal wings protruding backward and up. His blue eyes glowed brightly as the human and Cybertronian had a momentary staring contest, Major Lennox's agitated voice slowly returning his thoughts to the present.

"Hey!" The kid's head snapped toward the source. "You listening to me?"

He nodded once in response.

Lennox seemed to relax slightly, still agitated but calming down as he got the intruder's attention. The major started pacing. "So who are you?" Silence. "What were you looking for in our mainframe? Why did you use my credentials to get access?" Still no response. Lennox gave out a sharp breath of exasperation and turned to Ratchet, who was present along with Optimus Prime and the infiltrator's catcher, Bee and Ironhide staying outside the hangar. "Ratchet, what is this guy?"

The old doctor gave out a sigh of his own. "For the third time, Major, he's...human, far as I can tell."

When Lennox turned back to the prisoner, he saw a half-smile on his face and gentle amusement in his dark eyes. Suddenly incensed, the major rushed toward his chair and slammed his hands on the arms, right next to where the captive's hands were tied. "You better start talking, or-"

"Or what?"

The whole room fell silent and stood at attention, these the first words their mysterious intruder had spoken. In response, the prisoner arched an eyebrow and gave a slight chuckle at the sudden silence.

"Looks like I have the floor, then," he said, turning to a stunned Lennox. "You want the truth, Major? You want to know who I am? Fine. But I want one guarantee." The soldier stared back at him, expressionless. "Zero disclosure outside NEST. No arrest, no trial, no nothing."

Will's eyebrows shot up. "Is that all?"

The seated man nodded in response. "There are some very nasty people who would move Heaven and Earth to see me dead. I'd like to avoid that, along with any unnecessary bloodshed."

Lennox glanced at Epps, who was standing six feet away, their surprised and curious expressions mirrored on each other's faces. Epps shrugged slightly. "All right, you've got my attention."

The prisoner visibly relaxed and nodded. "Okay, short version. My name is Caden Drake. I'm a spy, and I've been aware of the presence of an extraterrestrial race on Earth since about a month after the Mission City incident." Lennox gave Epps another surprised glance. "I didn't have much to verify my suspicions, or at least the details, until I found out the U.S. government was diverting massive amounts of funds into an unknown initiative, and you were involved somehow." He pointed at Will with a tied hand. "I took your credentials because I was afraid the security system of this new...division would be too tough for me to hack directly, and I was right. Whatever your alien friends-Autobots, if I'm correct-did to your cyber security systems, it was far more than I could break into.

"As for what I was looking for, I guess you could say...confirmation. Evidence. I have a penchant for knowing about dangerous government secrets, and this one-" he motioned to the Autobot-filled hangar with his tied hands, "-seemed to have made the top of the list."

"For what purpose?"

Caden narrowed his eyes at Lennox. "Knowledge."

"And?"

"That's it. I like to be informed, so I'm never caught off-guard when some 'Area 51' or Manhattan Project hits the fan and by extension the press. I don't like to have unanticipated threats. As a soldier, and one that had first contact with alien enemies, I think you understand what I mean."

Lennox gave Epps another look, gulping slightly as he remembered the hundreds of soldiers that died in the base attack in Qatar. Like the rest of the few survivors of that assault, he and Epps knew that if they'd had prior knowledge of the enemy and their capabilities, things could have, and likely would have, turned out differently. They both turned back to their prisoner, who had been waiting patiently, knowing that they'd need time to process his implication.

"Rest assured, all of you, that I have no intention of opposing you or your Autobot allies. It's a brave new world, and now that all of humankind knows of their existence, and that of the...OpFor, I'm sure there'll be plenty of skeptics and xenophobes without my assistance. Besides, anyone, human or alien, who's willing to fight to protect innocents, gets a rubber stamp in my book."

Lennox looked at Epps and Ironhide, shocked at their prisoner's almost apologetic explanation of himself and his intentions. As the major opened his mouth to speak to him again, a loud explosion rocked the entire base, causing the Autobots to rush for the oversized doors in alarm. Another explosion tore through the doors, sending almost a ton of sheet metal flying toward the human soldiers. Optimus reached out with both hands, snatching the flying wall out of the air and stopping it from crushing the humans as he threw it out the hole and brandished an ion blaster from his back. Bumblebee chirped frantically from outside, and Optimus effectively translated.

"Decepticons!"

Every soldier in the hangar drew weapons and re-formed into their squads, months of training kicking in as they prepared to engage their titanic enemies once again. As they did this, all of them, Autobots and Lennox included, completely forgot about Caden. When the thought finally crossed Will's mind, he stared back at an empty chair, the cuffs open and unoccupied, and his heart skipped a beat in fear before he turned his attention back to the battle outside.

"Lennox," Ironhide shouted, "this way!" The 20-foot Bot pulled a cannon off his back, his previous arm-mounted ones having been destroyed during their confrontation with Megatron and the Fallen in Egypt, raising it to a hangar wall and firing, making a hole large enough for both him and the soldiers to get through. As they stormed out the makeshift exit, the soldiers immediately came under fire, Ironhide's body shielding them from the worst of it as he returned explosive shots and plasma to the enemy. "Major, get indoors!"

Lennox nodded in response. "Move out, on me!" His squad formed up tightly as they all sprinted to another hangar, noticing at least three protoform Decepticons mounted on the roofs of the base's buildings, laying down automatic fire on anything that moved. The squad made it to the hangar without incident, ducking inside and catching their breath for a few seconds before opening a side door and getting a good look at the enemy contacts. There were now seven Decepticons in view, some protoform, some clearly with vehicle forms, all of them looking pissed and firing madly. "All right, on my mark, we open fire." He pointed to his eyes, then at a certain angle, so the whole squad could see which Con he meant: one on their level, firing a Cybertronian assault rifle and striding toward the hangar they had just left.

The Con hissed angrily in Cybertronian, gun firing in short bursts as Lennox gave his men a silent countdown. "Now!" All seven of them burst through the door and opened fire, targeting his joints, eyes, anything they knew to be a weakness. The Con roared in rage at the sudden assault, and readjusted to target the humans, who retreated inside the hangar when they lost the element of surprise. The Con slammed on the heavy metal wall, denting, then perforating it with his rifle, tearing through the human's cover as he burst through into a shower of gunfire.

A 40 mm grenade landed on his left arm, crippling the elbow and forcing the rifle to drop as the Con tried to lift it one-handed. He roared in pain as the soldiers unloaded their mags into him, taking out his optics, a leg, and severing his left arm entirely with another grenade round before leveling his rifle at his attackers. A burst of Cybertronian rounds sliced through a corporal and a crate behind him, Lennox screaming at his team to scatter, forcing the Con to fire in all directions. Before he could get off another salvo, Lennox looked to his right, being outside the enemy's immediate field of vision, to see Caden Drake pointing a rifle of unknown make or model in his direction.

The major froze in fear as a dark feeling settled in his stomach and all the explanations and assurances from earlier suddenly dried up. That is, until Caden shifted his aim ever so slightly and opened up in an automatic burst-right into the Con's injured neck. Will turned back to the enemy, a determined smile making its way to his lips as he and the rest of his squad concentrated their fire on the neck, severing it after one last salvo. Breathing heavily, they all turned to the new fighter and stared at Drake, who was looking at them all innocently.

"What?"

Before Lennox or any of the others could reply, another explosion rocked the base, and two more Cons peeked through the hole, yelling angrily in Cybertronian. "Scatter!" The squad and Caden obeyed, all moving in separate directions, not even bothering to return fire. Lennox and his men eventually came back together after escaping the hangar, doing a headcount of who was still alive. Then something crossed his mind. "Where's Drake?"

…

Caden kept on running, sprinting through a vehicle depot on his way to the base's barracks. When he finally came to a stop, he found his breathing and heart rate elevated, quite a feat for someone with his physiology. More rumbles and crashes came from close by, followed by the turning of gears and metal clanging that he'd already come to associate with Cybertronian transformations. When he heard a harsh metallic voice less than thirty feet away, something told him that the source was less than friendly. The red eyes that peered at him from a crouching body a second later confirmed his fears, and he broke off in the opposite direction, ducking behind a vehicle for cover as the Decepticon pummeled several cars with his weapon.

When the salvo stopped, the human made a break for it, making it fifty feet before he saw his attacker's partner, a Con who had wheels in his shoulders and ankles, level a weapon at him. Caden's eyes widened as he leapt sideways, narrowly avoiding a rail shot from the Con as a glowing energon sword went through his shoulders, the blade pointing diagonally downward from a much taller left-hand source. Optimus Prime slashed his blade out of the enemy's chassis and aimed an ion blaster in his right hand, firing rapidly at the Con on the other side of the vehicle depot. Caden fired at another Con who charged at Optimus, guns blazing, and earned the ire of his target as Optimus put the wide end of his sword between the human and the attacking robot, the blade blocking the shots.

Drake ran behind a set of empty barrels and fired on two more Cons at another angle, the hot noonday sun beating down on him and distorting his vision slightly over the distance. He ducked behind cover to reload, admiring his weapon as he exchanged mags. _A-91 Daggertail. Assault rifle-SMG hybrid. Finest military assault tech I've ever had. Weight of an SMG with the stopping power of an assault rifle._ His left hand reached over to the right side of his weapon, his fingers pulling back the slide and loading a round into the chamber. He smiled malevolently. _And armor-piercing._

The young man popped out of cover and opened up on the enemy again, noting that the Prime was still laying down fire on anything in sight, dodging several missiles and automatic bursts intermittently. As he rolled underneath another missile, Optimus turned to Caden and fired with his left-hand blaster, suppressing the enemy as his baritone voice bellowed.

"Caden, run! They're after _you_!"

Drake's eyes widened in realization. _Don't have to tell me twice,_ he thought belatedly as his body broke off at a sprint, rounding the corner of a building to put cover between him and the Cons. He ran for another hundred feet before suddenly feeling his feet lifted off the ground by a giant hand with a surprisingly gentle grip.

"Woah!" he yelled, as he was raised twenty feet into the air, looking around quickly to see Optimus holding him and covering him with his other hand, blocking fire as he ran away from the enemy. The Prime held the young spy close to his chest for a split-second before the familiar whirring and clanging of a transformation reached Caden's ears, his parts shifting and melding to land the spy in the driver's seat of his Peterbilt 379 form. "Woah," he said quietly. Shaking his head slightly, the spy was snapped out of his astonishment by sudden gunfire from behind them. Bullets pinged off Optimus' armored hull, and when Drake turned to look for the source, he could see five Decepticons in car form, weapons protruding from transformed sections of their vehicles.

Several more salvos hit Optimus, despite his evasive maneuvers, and Caden heard a pained grunt from the radio, correctly interpreting it as Optimus' voice. _Enough of this. _"Keep driving! I got this!" Caden opened the driver-side window and stuck his upper body out, rifle in hand as he fired at them, laying down suppressing fire on all of them before thinking tactically. _If they were just cars, what would I do? _A smirk came to his face, and he aimed at the front tire of one Con, unleashing a half-dozen rounds that eventually punctured the abnormally tough substance and caused it to spin out of control, crashing into another of the pursuers.

Caden kept this up for nearly ten minutes, the distance between them growing larger as Optimus drove them into Pheonix, hoping to hide the Decepticons' unexpected target. Finally, it seemed like they lost the enemy, and the Prime drove under a wide arch, shielding them from the baking sun and high visibility.

"Are you all right," he asked his human charge.

"Yeah, just outta ammo," Caden responded, dumping the last empty mag from his Daggertail on Prime's passenger seat. "So, Optimus, is it? Why would the Decepticons be after me?"

A puzzled rumble came from the engine and radio. "I was hoping you could tell me."

Caden shook his head, eyebrows knitted as he prepared to respond. Whatever he would have said was cut off by another explosion, followed by the sound of Optimus' gas pedal depressing completely as he sped out from under the arch. Drake didn't understand why he had suddenly moved from cover until the entire arch collapsed, and breathed a sigh of relief at the Bot's quick response.

"Looks like you just keep savin' my life. Even though everything I've done has made you suspicious."

"Suspicion of your intentions, perhaps, but not of your loyalties. It is apparent that the Decepticons have no love for you, nor you for them."

Caden gave a snort of agreement. "Got that right." A missile hit the road in front of them, and Prime turned into an alley, driving as fast as he could and turning onto another street to avoid an incoming salvo. "Are they shooting at us from the air?" He got his answer a second later when an F-22 descended on the intersection in front of them, transforming to reveal a nasty-looking Decepticon with a six-barreled missile launcher in place of his left hand. Optimus swerved wildly and ejected Caden from his cab as he transformed and took cover behind a building, narrowly avoiding a salvo of three missiles from the jet Con.

"It's Starscream!" he yelled, pulling an ion blaster from his back and peeking around the cover to take a shot at the Decepticon lieutenant, two more Seekers joining him from the air as backup. "Go, Caden, run! I'll hold them here!"

"Optimus," Drake said over the roar of their Cybertronian cannons, "thank you." After seeing the Autobot leader nod once in response, Caden broke off at a sprint, entering an alleyway and weaving through buildings as if he had a squad of assassins on his heels. _Oh, no, _he reminded himself, _this is_ much_ worse. Cause _they_ at least die when you shoot 'em. _The spy was jolted out of his thoughts when a car on the street in front of him transformed and drew a gun on him. Caden turned sharply and ducked inside a building to avoid the shots, and made his way to the roof, unsurprised to see that the Con was already climbing the side of the building, trying to take a shot at him.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, sprinting for the side of the four-story building and leaping off, smashing through the third-story window of a neighboring building and rolling to cushion his fall. He glanced back to see the Con about to take a shot at him, and leapt for a nearby door as the rounds tore through the walls, missing him by inches.

"Clear the building!" he yelled to the tenants he passed as he leapt out a window on the third floor to a nearby roof, still running. As his feet slammed the ground, he drew his custom .45 caliber Sig Sauer and ejected the magazine, sliding it into his left pocket as he drew another and snapped it into the weapon, cocking it mid-sprint. The Con had caught up with him, and was running across the rooftops in hot pursuit when he raised his gun again. Caden leapt to another building and rolled on impact, spinning around to fire several shots from his pistol. Much to the Decepticon's surprise, the bullets exploded on impact, hitting his weapon dead in the barrel and irreparably jamming it.

Roaring in frustration, the Con resumed running after him, more than content to tear him apart barehanded, and Caden realized that a few explosive bullets wouldn't be enough to stop him at this range. He took off again, firing behind him periodically and hitting the robot more often than not, slowing him down if not stopping him. As he climbed the rooftop stairs of another building, the spy finally saw what he needed to even the odds and ran toward it, glancing behind to see the Decepticon simply jump up to his level and keep running. Running past an upright radio pole on his right, he snapped another clip of explosive bullets into his gun and leapt off the roof to another building, this time twisting midair to fire at the lower supports of the pole, causing it to buckle and fall.

Right onto the running Decepticon.

The enraged robot's head snapped sideways at the impact as he fell more than jumped to the roof Caden was falling toward, the spy turning back forward to roll on impact and turn mid-roll to face his enemy. The Con picked up the fallen pole and flung it toward the spy, who performed a free-running corkscrew over the horizontal pole, using his momentum to run straight at the rampaging robot, who brought his right fist rapidly downward toward Caden. Drake dashed forward, sliding on his knees between the Con's legs and rolling as his upper body pitched forward, twisting toward the enemy and drawing his pistol, then putting two shots into the back of his left knee.

The Decepticon roared in pain as he was crippled and Caden did the same to his other leg, thrashing wildly as he tried to kill the human. Reflexes at the peak of human potential, Caden did a backwards handspring and rolled under a horizontal swipe, rising to a crouch and aiming at the Con's neck, remembering his experience in the hangar and concentrating on that weak point. Drake unloaded all eight remaining explosive shots into the Decepticon's neck, severing his head as the pistol clicked empty. Several frantic breaths escaped his throat as he lowered the gun, more terrified than he had ever been in his entire life-and that was saying something.

_Two clips of thrilithium-encased, high-explosive bullets. That's one expensive kill._ As he checked his belt for more magazines, he scoffed. _And everything I have in the way of robot-killers._ He let the spent mag drop from his pistol and slid a clip of twelve normal .45 caliber bullets into it, the slide snapping shut as he hit the release. _Like it'll make a difference. _Caden strode toward the side of the building, dropping into a fire escape and cautiously making his way to the ground, noticing that nearly all sounds of battle had vanished and wondering if Optimus managed to fend off all of his other pursuers. A metal clang reached his ears as he rounded a corner.

_Oh, like I'm ever that lucky. _Staring at him were four Decepticons, all of whom surrounded and boxed him in, one of them drawing a weapon while engaging his comrades in harsh Cybertronian. As the conversation progressed for a few mere seconds, the Con's blood-red eyes turned back to Caden, and he clenched his fang-like metal teeth, hissing out something in Cybertronian that made the human's blood run cold. And then he raised the gun at him, and Drake's eyes widened as far as they could go as reality struck him. _I'm going to die. After everything I've been through, survived, I'm going to die like this._

Caden's entire, eighteen-year life flashed in front of him. The news broadcast declaring his parents dead. The feel of a gorgeous brunette in his arms as she bled out. The body of his parents' killer lying limp, neck broken by his hand. The face of the man who gave the order against his parents. Reunification with the "dead" girl, the daughter of the same man. As the images faded, the alien gun warmed and he threw his arms in front of him, instinct overriding his intellectual knowledge that it would make no difference. He waited for the pain, for the darkness of death, but it never came.

Another, sharper metal clang rang through his ears, and his eyes darted upward to see a large metal blade protruding from his would-be killer's chest, sparks flying around the hole. Caden's eyes widened. _The same blade that killed my car. _He traced the angle of the Cybertanium blade to its source and saw the same charcoal-black bot leap through the air, another blade protruding from his left arm as his right hand reached for his hip, drawing the same pistol he'd seen the Autobot point at him before. Caden dashed for cover and ducked behind a nearby pillar, watching the titanic fight unfold before him.

The wing-helmed Autobot was tearing through the Decepticons with extraordinary skill and grace, something Caden hadn't even thought possible in a being so large, leaping toward one in a flying kick as he shot another through the shoulder. The round that came from his gun went straight through him, at such a high velocity that the weak armor at that joint gave way completely, severing the arm. The Bot ducked under a strike from a Con with an axe, slashing out his knee with his left-hand blade and holstering his gauss pistol as he broke into a roll toward the Decepticon who tried to kill Caden.

As he rose, the Bot twisted, tearing out the thrown blade in the Con's chest, and his pierced spark along with it as he engaged the last two Cons. He stabbed through the shoulders of the Con he'd just crippled and drove a hard knee into the back of his head, knocking it off his neck entirely, then grappled with the last enemy. Twisting out of the enemy robot's grip, the charcoal Bot finished him by thrusting half his right blade into the left side of the Con's neck and vice versa with his left, drawing them together and beheading him. The Autobot took a quick look around, verifying that his opponents were all dead before retracting his blades and walking over to Caden, who was staring at him in disbelief and admiration.

_Incredible. Absolutely incredible._

"Are you all right," the Bot asked him in a professional, businesslike tone, his voice slightly deeper than last time.

The eighteen-year-old spy nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. That was amazing." He motioned to the dead Cons.

The Bot nodded sharply and transformed into his Cybertronian car form, the side passenger door opening. "I've already informed Optimus that you're alive and well," the master fighter said through the radio. "Everyone's very anxious to meet you when you're not chained to a chair."

Caden raised an eyebrow and suppressed a smile as he climbed in. _Alien robots with a sense of humor. Guess I_ am_ that lucky. _"Even Lennox?"

"_Especially_ Lennox." They drove for a few minutes before Caden spoke up.

"So what happened to the rest of the Cons?"

"Tucked tail and ran back to Megatron when they realized we knew what they were after and started giving you cover. Megs isn't gonna be happy about that, especially if he sent this much manpower, including Starscream, to take you out. They'll want to hear a reason for that, too."

Caden nodded, then turned his mind to other matters, expression grim. "How many casualties?"

The Autobot's voice grew low and mournful. "About a dozen or so soldiers, maybe twenty civilians. No Autobot casualties. We were unprepared, but it's better than it could have been."

A wave of guilt rushed through Drake nonetheless, at all the lives lost just so this Megatron could get to him. "Well," he said halfheartedly, "that's something, I guess." For the rest of the ride, he was silent, and so was his driver, the latter seeming to understand what he was feeling. When they arrived, Optimus and the other Autobots were waiting for them in the command building, expressions neutral. When he got out of the car, his Autobot escort transformed and joined his comrades in their bipedal forms, all looking at him silently until Lennox stepped forward and spoke.

"I still don't know who you are, or where you came from, but you saved my life. Thank you." Will held out his hand, and Caden shook it with a nod after a second. "Not sure where this leaves you, but…" the major glanced at the Bots and his soldiers, "we'll figure something out."

Caden raised an eyebrow. "Please, don't mistake my intentions. I don't work for you. I don't want to work _for_ you. I _do _want to work _with _you, with all of you." An awkward silence hung in the air for a few moments.

"If it is acceptable to our human partners," Optimus started in his mechanical baritone, "I will be more than happy to accept you into our ranks. You have proven to be no friend of the Decepticons, and more than capable of handling yourself in combat. I also monitored your flight from the Combaticon, how you attempted to save the humans around you by luring your pursuer away." This turned a few heads, and Caden raised his eyebrows. _How did he do that? He wasn't there. _"Most admirable."

Lennox turned back to Caden and hesitated a second before speaking again. "I'm sure the brass will be more than eager to take on someone with your talents as an, uh…" He stuttered at a loss for words until Caden finished his sentence.

"A consultant."

Lennox cocked his head and arched an eyebrow slightly in thought. "Perfect." He held out his hand again and Caden shook it without hesitation, maintaining the grip for a few seconds as Lennox spoke again. "Welcome to NEST."

The teen smiled. "Thank you, Major."

…

NEST regional installation, 6 miles outside of Pheonix, AZ

Caden stood in the wreckage hangar of the base, staring in mute sorrow at the bisected wreck in front of him. His steel-gray Lamborghini sat in front of him, or, rather, what was left of it. _This was my first long-term stick-shift. Custom paint, custom engine, custom...everything. A real beauty of automotive engineering, if I may say so myself._ Movement in his peripheral vision got his attention, but he barely gave the source a glance before he focused back on the wreck.

"We've met twice," Caden started, his voice neutral, "you've saved my life, and I still don't know your name."

"Hawk," the Bot replied in the same tone, causing Drake to look up at his helm, noting the significance of the wings for the first time. Suddenly, and without warning, Caden's face twisted into an ear-to-ear grin, which led almost immediately to hysterical laughter. Confused, Hawk looked at him in concern.

"Well, Hawk," Drake said between fits of laughter, "you owe me a new car." He kept laughing for a few more seconds before it calmed down and his grin faded to a slight curve. "Though I think saving my life more than makes up for it." When the Bot didn't respond, the spy thought he'd offended his rescuer and looked up to see Hawk instead looking at the wreck very intently, his eyes glowing even brighter and transmitting a series of beams over the bisected vehicle. When it ended, the charcoal-black Bot spoke.

"Who says I can't give you both?" Immediately, Hawk's plates began to shift in shape and color, the wheels and contoured panels shifting as his color shifted to the same steel-gray color as Caden's totaled Lambo. Caden grinned knowingly as his eyes widened in recognition, and Hawk transformed for the first time after the scan-right into his Lamborghini Embolado. The driver-side door opened, and Drake stepped in, seating himself in an exact replica of his car. _And since he's an alien robot, I'm guessing he has a few upgrades of his own. _Surprisingly, the Autobot let him handle the keys and stick, shifting to back out of the hangar.

"You okay letting me drive you," he asks the car.

"Of course. I know you won't do anything you wouldn't to your own car."

Caden smiled. "No, but I have to warn you, I'm a little rough with the shifter sometimes. And I like to go fast."

The Bot chuckled through the radio. "That makes two of us."

A determined smile settling on his face, Caden shifted into first gear and gunned the engine, accelerating at his Lambo's previous massive rate and shifting as needed to get up to nearly two-hundred miles an hour. He heard a gentle humming from the engine, the seats, the car's entire being, and took it as a sign of appreciation, as the spy seemed to be able to handle tight maneuvers and turns at high speeds that even Hawk would be hard-pressed to perform. It was less than three minutes before Caden looped his path back around the hot Arizona roads toward Pheonix and another four before he pulled into the drop-off loop at Pheonix Sky International Airport.

"So," Caden said as he braked to a stop, "I'll stay in touch."

The Autobot laughed. "You better, or I'll be forced to hunt you down and deliver your job offer personally."

"Well, I live near DC, so...unless you're willing to trek all that way, I doubt _that'll_ happen."

"Might be more likely than you think. Heard some of the brass discussing moving our HQ to DC, since our current base is compromised, and Diego Garcia has been abandoned."

"Diego Garcia?"

"Long story."

Caden nodded slowly. "Gonna be a lot of those exchanged between us, I hope."

"Definitely. Can't wait to hear the long version of your 'short story.'"

Caden chuckled slightly. "No, it'll be a long version of a really long story." A moment or two passed before the spy checked his watch. "Well, anyway, I have a flight to catch. Make sure your leaders move NEST to DC. I meant what I said about you owing me a car. Mostly." They laughed together. "I'll see ya later, Hawk."

"Take care of yourself, Caden."

Caden gave him a final nod as he stepped out of the driver's seat and slammed the door shut behind him, walking to the curb of the entrance and watching as the living copy of his car drove away. A smile crept to his lips as he turned around and walked through the front doors of the airport, toward his flight and a new life that was so unlike anything he had ever experienced or expected. As he leaned back in his window seat, looking out the glass at the clouds zooming by, his thoughts kept drifting back to his new comrades.

Alien robots. Autobots. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he thought they were about as friendly as it gets with new people. On the upside, he had a new car. That talks-and fights like a demon. _Like me. _A friend? Maybe. Ally? Definitely. _I just hope I can fully prove myself worthy of their trust. _His expression darkened. _And find out just why this "Megatron" wants me dead. _A small, rueful smile reached his lips after a minute. _This really is a brave new world._

* * *

AN: Please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: AOE - Cemetery Wind: start - Optimus gets Caden to Phoenix, 3:00 - chase with Combaticon, 4:55 - rescue by Hawk


	2. Stories and Sorties

Alien robots. Autobots. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he thought they were about as friendly as it gets with new people. On the upside, he had a new car. That talks-and fights like a demon. _Like me. _A friend? Maybe. Ally? Definitely. _I just hope I can fully prove myself worthy of their trust. _His expression darkened. _And find out just why this "Megatron" wants me dead. _A small, rueful smile reached his lips after a minute. _This really is a brave new world._

...

Unknown location

Ten minutes earlier

Starscream debated entering Megatron's presence so soon. The Decepticon leader would be so much more than pissed at his failure, and even in his weakened state, half of his head missing, the hate-filled Con would be more than a match for his first lieutenant in dealing a beating. _Nothing I haven't endured in the past, _Scream realized resignedly as he went through the parted doors to Megatron's makeshift throne room. Most of the large atrium was cloaked in shadows, deepest at the throne itself, where he could see Megatron sitting, looking much like a shadow himself, with blood-red eyes and an aura of pure evil.

No matter how many times Starscream saw him like this, or kept reminding himself that Megatron was no longer as strong as before, strong enough to take on a Prime, this image terrified him to no end. _I suppose that's his point. _The Decepticon Seeker grit his teeth and strode forward at an even pace, trying desperately not to betray his frayed nerves as he felt his master's eyes focus on him like laser beams. As he approached in silence, he half-expected Megatron to morph his right arm into the former gladiator's trademark fusion cannon and shoot him, as he had done on numerous occasions, the expression on Starscream's face clearly indicating failure.

"I have...failed, my master," Starscream said finally and uneasily. His optics darted up to Megatron's face, expecting his master's already imposing features to be twisted into his equally trademark scowl or rage, but finding instead-a smile? The Seeker did a quick double-take at his master's slightly amused expression before hearing Megatron's intimidating baritone response.

"I know. In fact, I expected as much."

Starscream gaped obviously. "You _knew _I would fail to kill the human? Even with everything you sent with me?"

Megatron gave him a smug nod. "I needed to test the Autobots' resolve where the boy's protection was concerned, as well as his usefulness to them. Now that both have been verified, we can continue as planned."

Starscream looked at him incredulously. "What plan, my master? I thought the plan was to destroy the human and prevent him from aiding the Autobots."

Megatron sneered. "Simpleminded fool. One human more or less will hardly make a difference to the Autobots' cause. Not for them, anyhow." The Decepticon leader leaned forward and stood up, an action that sent a chill through his lieutenant's spark and caused him to involuntarily back up a step. A malevolent smile crept to Megatron's face as he turned away and strode toward another, smaller figure in the room. "I understand the human has shown some… aptitude in avoiding detection."

Starscream nodded nervously. "Yes, my lord, hence why we were forced to wait so long to attack."

Megatron grunted in acknowledgement as he kept walking, finally reaching the shadowed figure. "Good." As his steps slowed, the gigantic Cybertronian's optics perused the figure crouched before him, noting the long rifle he was inspecting. "Sideways." The figure looked up and locked eyes with his master, remaining silent. "It is time. Find the human and watch him. Wait for my order, then take him and bring him to me."

The figure stood slowly and stepped into the fading light streaming through a nearby window, revealing a dark gray Decepticon toting a Nucleon Sniper Rifle. He promptly retracted the rifle into his right arm before returning his red gaze to his leader, glancing only briefly at Starscream before bowing at the waist. Still bowed, he spoke in a deep, harsh, almost scratchy voice.

"I live to serve you, Lord Megatron."

The sound of this Con's vocals sent an uncomfortable feeling through Starscream, and even though the relatively diminutive bot was just over half his size, he still felt unsafe around him, perhaps more than Megatron, if that was possible. One look at the blood-red optics of the Con as his body straightened, and Starscream knew that more cruelty and pure evil coursed through this Cybertronian's veins than his own, that he enjoyed causing pain and suffering. And it terrified him.

…

One month later

NEST regional installation, 6 miles outside Pheonix, AZ

3 months after the death of the Fallen

Ironhide drove through the main gate of the NEST base, the Autobots' temporary home, and pulled into one of the hangars near the center, essentially the Bots' barracks and recharging center. Pulling over behind an intently busy Hawk, he spoke through the radio, his passenger-side door opening slowly.

"Hey, Wings," the gruff Bot said, clearly getting the fighter's attention and annoyance. "Brought you a present." As Ironhide's door opened completely, a six-foot human stepped out wearing a white v-neck with blue jeans, Converse sneakers-and a pair of black sunglasses.

"Caden," Hawk said, his previous annoyance fading as a smile blossomed on his face. His optics' conical vision barely registered Ironhide's transformation to his bipedal form, as his focus was on the relatively slight, smiling human male staring up at him, hands on his hips.

"Been a while, Hawk. Missed me?"

The Bot chuckled and nodded to Ironhide in thanks, who returned the gesture as he walked away. "As a matter of fact, I did. Never got the chance to hear your long story." As per his promise, Caden had been keeping contact with him over the month-long gap between their face-to-face meetings, allowing the Autobot to fill him in on the gaps in his knowledge about the Cybertronians and the war.

Caden nodded in response. "Well, I intend to hear yours too. After all, how old are you, like, a hundred thousand years?"

"More than that, actually."

The kid let out a long whistle. "Can't imagine living that long. Things you must've seen…" He shook his head, gaze averted in contemplation of the horrors of war. "I mean, I've only lived eight years in the line of fire, but you? I can't imagine a thousand years of civil war, much less ten or twenty times that amount."

"Try a thousand times."

Caden's jaw dropped. "Damn...all that death. What that must do to you…makes you cynical after a while, doesn't it?"

Hawk cocked his head slightly, crouching down to get closer to the human's level. "Sometimes, a little. Frankly, it depends on the day and my state of mind."

"That makes two of us," Caden replied as he muscled backwards onto a nearby crate and sat on it, keeping his head at approximately the same level.

"At the same time, though, when you've seen it all, all the hardship, suffering, bloodshed." Hawk shook his head slightly. "It makes you appreciate all the little things in life. The joy. The quiet. Even the pain of heartache and rejection as opposed to loss in battle. Makes you appreciate the peace between missions and wish it never ended."

Caden let out a wistful breath. "I hear that." The boy sighed again and locked eyes with Hawk briefly before staring off into the distance again. "There was a time, you know, when I went on relentless combat missions. Just...one after the next, you know? It was my own personal war. No flags, no governments, just ideologies and moral differences."

"I take it that's part of your 'long story.'" Hawk saw Caden nod, not altering his gaze or head. "So...let's have it all."

A wry smile came to the human's face before he responded. "If I told it all, we'd be here all day. Literally. All day."

"Well, since I've got about, oh, a million plus years on you, I think my story would last a lot longer than yours."

"Well, yeah, but...you've also had a lot more time to think about your past. About how to explain it to someone else."

Hawk cocked his head. "Well, actually, not really. The only sentients I've ever had to explain myself to that deeply are Cybertronian, and most of them know my story anyway."

Caden's eyebrows shot up. "Are you really that popular with your species? That famous?"

Hawk's face darkened. "Infamous, more like, and for a reason that I've always looked at as the most shameful chapter of my life." He looked over at the human to see an expression of slight shock as he took off his sunglasses and tucked them into his pocket, eyes locking into Hawk's optics as he stared intently and waited for him to explain.

"Well," Caden asked after a long pause. "Don't leave it there, don't leave me hangin'."

Hawk let out a robotic sigh. "All right...don't say I didn't warn you." He adjusted himself to sit in a more comfortable position, and Caden did the same, sensing this was going to be a long, deep explanation of how the Bot came to be there. "First off, you should know I wasn't always an Autobot." He looked over to see Caden's eyes widen. "Yeah, I know, but it's a lot more complicated than you think.

"Here's the bottom line; I wasn't always an Autobot, nor was I always a Con, nor was I always named Hawk. In fact, there was a hundred-thousand year period at the beginning of my life when I didn't belong to either faction. I was, what some called, a Neutral, or Rogue. A noncombatant, or as close as you could get in a worldwide civil war. Well, it hadn't quite turned worldwide at that point, but the battle lines were growing larger and larger each day, with those of us who either didn't know which to pick or didn't care rapidly approaching the center, caught in the crossfire. I knew there was a point where I would need to pick a side, we all did, and it wasn't a decision I made lightly.

"You have to realize that at that time, things were much different. The Decepticons were supposed to be a band of radical fighters who thought that by subjugating the old order, they'd be bringing peace and stability to Cybertron. Megatron had made a name for himself in the gladiatorial pits of Kaon, developed a reputation as a hero of the people before the war broke out in earnest. Not sure if the fighting and conflict changed him over the years, or whether he was always as evil as he is now, and time just exposed his true colors. Regardless, when the war finally came to my corner of the world, I weighed my options carefully.

"Both sides were powerful, almost evenly matched, but with their own distinct advantages. The Autobots, led by the Primes, had access to more advanced, and ancient, technology, with the resources and history to back up their forces. Megatron and his Decepticons had the image, the charisma, and the strength to lead, not to mention droves upon droves of disgruntled Cybertronians who were tired of the way the last few Primes had been running things. For millennia, _eons_ before, the Primes had been the guiding forces on our world, in our culture, leading us to unparalleled prosperity, but even that age had begun to significantly darken when I was spawned from the Well of Allsparks.

"The Primes had, somewhere along the line, lost their focus, their true reason to be in charge. Instead of employing their wisdom and power for the good of all Cybertronians, they had become miserly and arrogant, preferring to revel in the glory of their own accomplishments and position, to, as you humans would say, fall in love with their own legends. As a result, Cybertron fell into neglect. Anywhere not given direct attention by the Primes, essentially anywhere several thousand klicks outside Iacon, their capital city, began to languish in disrepair, and eventually, the majority of the populace began to look for new leadership. It was at that time, in the pits of Kaon, that Megatron, then known as Megatronus, made his debut in the public spotlight, carving out a reputation as a peerless fighter and powerful orator.

"He rallied the people to him, to his message of restoration, and demanded that they march straight into Iacon Square and demand that the Primes share their long-hoarded prosperity. For a long time, Megatronus negotiated with them, becoming more and more angry with each passing cycle as the stubborn traditionalists refused to change for the needs of their people. At some point, he had had enough, and essentially threatened all-out war if his demands were not met, claiming superior numbers and motivation against them. It was at this point, I was told, that a young bot, a librarian, spoke up from the gallery of the Primes' council chamber.

"His voice wasn't forceful or intimidating like Megatronus', but still powerful and moving. He advocated a compromise between the two parties, and things seemed to go well for a while. The Primes loosened up, Zeta Prime lending significant manpower to rebuild the less fortunate sections of the planet while Sentinel Prime, their chief scientist and genius inventor, gave Megatronus advanced technology that would further expedite the process. Megatronus even befriended the librarian who had managed to bring all that about, and for a time, Cybertron enjoyed an uneasy but steadily more pleasant peace. I'm not sure exactly what happened to change that due to the fact that I lived on the fringes of the world even then, and because I never asked after the fact.

"All I know is, at some point, Megatron betrayed the Primes and claimed he could do it all better himself, despite the attempted convincing of his librarian friend, Orion Pax." Hawk looked at Caden pointedly. "You know him now as Optimus Prime." His human friend's eyes widened as he continued. "Thus, with the beginning of the conflict, the Decepticons were born, as were the Autobots. Megatron spent the next hundred thousand cycles consolidating his power and raining hell down on the Autobots, whose numbers and support steadily dwindled-as did the number of Primes leading them. Megatron tried to hunt them all down. Nearly succeeded too. Anyhow, when the time rolled around for me to pick a side, I chose the Decepticons.

"Sure, Megatron was arrogant, but unlike the Primes, he had the power and leadership to justify it. Didn't mind getting his hands dirty to make a difference." Hawk laughed mirthlessly and shook his head. "Make a difference. Shows how naive I was. I was already a seasoned fighter, experienced in several Cybertronian fighting styles with a specialty in hand-to-hand and melee combat. In addition, since I'd spent several thousand cycles avoiding entire armies, I was also quite the infiltrator. The Cons welcomed me with open arms, and put my skills to 'good' use when they realized what I could do. Even Megatron started to notice when I was able to perform operations that two squads of his seasoned commandoes couldn't pull off as well, and gave me the name Crow.

"As a result, I rose through the ranks rather quickly, culminating in me becoming Megatron's 'left hand.'" He could see Caden frown at him in question, and quickly explained. "A person's right hand is their first lieutenant, the one who carries out the public duties and takes command when the leader is out."

Caden's eyes widened slightly in realization as he finished Hawk's thought. "Which means the left hand is the one that never gets seen, that carries out the missions most people are too scared or squeamish to take on."

Hawk nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. But like any position of power, you always have rivals. For me, it was one in particular, a Con so dangerous and downright terrifying that he all but scared off the rest. Unnerved even me sometimes, but I always held fast, and if he ever stepped out of line, I put him in his place." Hawk snarled slightly in bitter remembrance and let out a long sigh. "His name was Sideways."

"Was?"

Hawk turned to him and nodded. "From what I understand, Sideswipe killed him in Shanghai three months ago. Cut the bastard in half, quick and clean, like your car." He snorted derisively, looking back at the wall. "Better than he deserved."

Caden narrowed his eyes at his Autobot friend. "Sounds personal."

Hawk looked at him and said in confirmation, "It is. In combat, I was ruthless, almost more ruthless than Starscream, but when it came to dealing with prisoners...I never gave up who I was. Killing an enemy in battle is one thing, but a defenseless opponent…" The Bot shook his head in disgust. "It just doesn't agree with me. Never has, never will." He looked at Caden sideways. "And Sideways knew it. That's, ultimately, why I became an Autobot."

…

Cybertron

Approximately 200,000 years before the death of the Fallen

"Commander Crow, come in."

Crow nodded and stepped forward at the order from Lord Megatron, noting a sour expression on Starscream's face, though, unlike the norm, it wasn't directed at him, but at a holographic projection in the middle of the room. He barely gave it a glance as he strode to his usual place at Megatron's left side, knowing his leader would explain everything to him. He was, after all, his most trusted lieutenant, next to Soundwave. Anyone and everyone within the Decepticon ranks knew that Megatron's so-called 'right hand' Starscream was just waiting for the chance to stab his master in the back, no matter how subtle he thought he was being about it. With this on his mind, Crow turned to the sour-faced Seeker.

"Commander," he said, his tone neutral.

"Commander," Scream replied, his tone matching the contempt that he knew Crow held him in.

"On to the matter at hand," Megatron interrupted. He had long grown used to the less-than-pleasant relationship his two top lieutenants had with each other, so didn't bother to address the hostility between them. "Starscream was just informing me that he and his Seekers intercepted a partial transmission from the Autobots about an item of particular interest to me."

Crow gave Megatron a pointed look, noting that he deliberately left his description of the item vague. "What do you need me to do, sir?"

"Infiltrate an enemy compound several hundred klicks outside Iacon. As near as Starscream's scouts can tell, it's a communications hub, a relay of sorts, a hardline between several other hubs of the same kind and the communications center in Iacon."

"So hacking the signal's out of the question."

Megatron gave him a nod before continuing. "This is the least heavily guarded hub that has access to the information we need, and sending in an assault force to retrieve it would be tantamount to lighting an alarm flare and calling Optimus and his Autobots for reinforcements." He saw Crow give him a slow nod of understanding. "You'll insert here," he said, one of his clawed hands pointing to a broken point in the wall around the outpost. "The Seekers have reported that Autobot security systems in that immediate area are already infrequent, and with a Null Burst from Starscream, you should be able to slip in undetected."

"Estimated enemy force?"

"Inconsequential for someone of your abilities, I assure you."

Crow nodded and smiled until he turned to Megatron and saw the ghost of a dangerous expression play across his face for a split-second. _What was that, _he thought, having seen it only once before and not remembering the circumstances. Gently shaking himself, he snapped out of his thoughts. "Extraction?"

"Same place. Blackout will be along to carry you out."

Crow arched an eyebrow. "Aerial extraction? Why the excess speed? You know I can outrun or drive any Autobot out there."

"True, you are one of my most skilled escapists, but once you start the download, the Autobots will be alerted to your presence. They'll mobilize everything they have in the area, and you will soon be vastly outnumbered."

Crow made an "oh" with his mouth, his eyebrows raised.

"Personally," Starscream cut in, "I don't see the point in wasting precious resources on extracting a self-proclaimed 'solo operative.'"

Crow looked at him, then at Megatron, and smirked slightly at what he knew was coming. _After all this time, how could Scream_ not_ know? _The Decepticon spy vainly suppressed a grin as Megatron's open backhand smacked Starscream across the face, knocking him on his aft.

"Scrap!" Scream exclaimed in pain as he hit the floor, hand clutching his face as he used the other to steady him.

Knowing the message was delivered, Megatron turned back to Crow, who had regained his neutral expression. "You leave in five kliks. Report to your dropship."

The spy nodded and gave Megatron a sharp salute before leaving the command center and heading to his personal hangar. Once there, a Decepticon pilot he didn't recognize powered up the dropship and lifted off, taking them off the landing pad and flying horizontally to curve left a few hundred meters out. Crow looked out the side window to see where they had just come from, a massive, imposing tower in the middle of the Decepticon capital of Kaon: Kokular. It "took his breath away" every time he saw it, not only in admiration, but in fear, fear of the power it represented.

He turned his optics away to look forward toward their destination, then lay his head back and enter recharge mode, knowing the trip to the outskirts of Iacon would be long, even by air.

…

5 hours later,

Autobot communications outpost, 450 km outside Iacon

Crow's dark body crept through the crack in the outpost's wall, exactly where Megatron said it would be. The light from Cybertron's sun had long passed on, and night reigned on him and the outpost. Crow smiled. _Just how I like it. _After performing a cursory check of the area, he confirmed the sparsity of security systems in the courtyard between him and the building, then put a finger to his winged ear.

"Starscream," he whispered into his comlink, "activate your Null Burst." He heard static on the other end before the rest of the cameras and sensors deactivated. "My thanks, Commander," he said with a smile, deliberately adding mirth to his voice just to annoy Starscream. Unsurprisingly, he heard nothing more over the connection, knowing the commander to be too prideful to insult him directly. Moving forward, he ran two steps before transforming into a pitch-black Cybertronian sports car and driving forward, his engine barely making audible sound due to an upgrade Shockwave performed to make him a better infiltrator.

When he got within 100 meters of the outpost's entrance, Crow spotted an Autobot lookout, his red circuitry glowing slightly in the darkness. _Making you the perfect target, _the Decepticon thought darkly as he drove through the shadows and approached the Bot silently, transforming to hide behind cover and wait until his target moved to watch another area. When he finally did, Crow extended his right-hand blade and snuck up behind him, driving the short sword through the Bot's chest while covering his vocal processor with his hand, twisting out his spark as he lowered the dead Autobot to the ground and dragged him away.

Making his way further into the outpost, the Con dispensed with several other unaware guards with similar success, making it to the comm. access point without incident or detection. Inserting an encrypted data drive, Crow watched as the onboard virus cracked the Autobots' security system, knowing it was only a matter of seconds before they caught on to the intrusion. As if answering his thoughts, an outpost-wide alarm blared in his ears, and he watched as the loading bar on the screen filled to 60%. _Damn it all. Thought I could get out of here without a hitch._ He drew one of his gauss pistols in his right hand and a Neutron SMG in his left, covering both entrances to the control room. _Guess I was wrong._

An Autobot squad poured its members through one of the doors, and Crow opened fire, pounding them with automatic rounds from his SMG and following with a series of single shots with his pistol, taking out two of them and injuring another before they pulled back behind the security of the wall. Crow kept covering them, hissing in impatience as the loading bar filled completely. Holstering his pistol, the Con snagged the drive and yanked it from its port, storming out the opposite door and tossing a grenade from his hip at the doorway with the Bots. He ran madly for the exit, knowing an army of Autobots was about to descend on him at any moment, tucking away the drive in a compartment in his chest.

Reaching a clearing on the second floor, he dodged gunfire from below as he ran onto a catwalk that reached to an adjacent building and transformed, driving at maximum speed to get away from his pursuers. Descending a level, he put a wall between him and his pursuers, rounding a corner a second later. And then he crashed. His front bumper dented as he transformed mid-crash, allowing his momentum to flip him forward and up over the offending object, landing in a roll and spinning to aim his pistols at the new threat. Transforming in front of him was a yellow-gray Cybertronian sports car, whose doors seemed to form flightless wings at his back in bipedal mode.

_Scrap, _Crow thought. _Bumblebee. _Though he had never personally tangled with the young scout, he had heard numerous reports of the Bot's natural talent and his ability to take on multiple opponents at once with relative ease, especially in close quarters. Rapid movement from his left triggered Crow's instincts, causing him to duck and roll under a flying kick aimed at his head. When he readjusted, he laid eyes on a second Autobot, a femme with a light blue and pink paintjob and two wheels mounted on her legs. _Unicron's spark! Arcee too?! _His once solid confidence began to crack as two of the most talented Autobot close quarters specialists sized him up.

"Hand over the data," Arcee said calmly but threateningly, her right arm sprouting a forearm blade as her left morphed into an energon pistol.

Bumblebee hadn't yet drawn a weapon, but from the scout's stance, Crow could tell that he was on a hair-trigger, ready to counterattack at a moment's notice. Sighing, the Con lowered his weapons and holstered them, reaching toward the back of his hips, presumably to give them the drive. Before either Bot could react, he threw a flashbang grenade at the duo and averted his optics, the hypersonic noise disorienting him as well but avoiding the worst of the blinding flash. The Autobots were not so fortunate, and were clutching their helms and optics in pain as Crow spun around and transformed, driving off as fast as his wheels could take him. Less than a minute later, automatic fire peppered his rear, and he looked behind him to see Bumblebee attacking in Stealth Force mode, weapons exposed and hammering away.

Cursing in Cybertronian, Crow rounded another corner and ascended a ramp into another building, transforming and hiding behind a pillar, waiting for the Autobot to follow in pursuit. When he did, Crow slammed both feet down on his hood, falling from a jump to add extra force. The Autobot transformed and rolled crudely, coughing and stunned as Crow moved in for the kill. An energon round tore into his left shoulder as Arcee backed up her comrade and charged at the Decepticon spy. Drawing both his blades, Crow dodged and weaved around the shots until Arcee got close, then engaged her blade to blade, spinning mid-thrust to slash at a recovering Bumblebee.

He spun in a circle, aiming his swords at their respective neck levels and gauging their reaction times and footwork, looking for a weakness. He grit his teeth, not seeing any, and knew this was going to be the fight of his life. They paced on opposite sides of him, forcing him to constantly turn his head to keep track of their movements. _They're good, I'll give them that. But she's working with a rookie, and that makes him a liability. _Keeping this in mind, he lunged at Arcee, feinting and instead slashing his other blade sideways, cutting a gash through the chest armor of Bumblebee, who charged forward as soon as he saw Crow go for Arcee.

The Decepticon quickly took advantage of this and rushed toward the rookie scout, slashing and slicing as he forced the yellow bot to fall back. When Bee finally launched an upper-cutting counterattack, he hand-sprung backward, landing a mule kick on Arcee on the way up. Finally given a moment, Crow retracted his right blade and drew his pistol, firing rapidly as Bee barely ducked behind cover in time to dodge the shots. Arcee had already recovered, and was firing at Crow repeatedly, landing several glancing hits on the Con's armor. Snarling, Crow retracted his other blade and drew a Neutron SMG, holstering his right-hand pistol to retrieve an identical weapon from the hollow of his right hip, ducking behind cover briefly before unleashing a salvo of peppering fire.

After exchanging fire with the Autobots, including Bee, who was using his plasma cannon to bombard Crow's cover to molten shreds, Crow transformed and drove straight toward the Autobots, weaving around their shots and turning sharply. As he switched directions, his rear end slammed into Bumblebee's shins, toppling and stunning him as Crow maxed out his accelerator to escape. After a prolonged chase between him and Arcee, the femme Bot confronted him on the rooftop of a nearby building, fighting blade to blade once again, neither gaining an advantage despite Crow's height advantage. Knowing it was just a matter of time before the other Autobot showed up, Crow pressed the attack, fighting furiously and overpowering her.

As he pinned her to the ground, his right hand shoved the barrel of his pistol in her face.

"Game over, Autobot." His finger squeezed the trigger as her yellow partner tackled him and rolled off the Con, recovering quickly and sending his high-velocity shot into space.

Quickly readjusting, Crow tried to target the Bot, but the scout was already moving, and roundhouse-kicked the gun out of his hand, following with a leaping knee into the Con's face and a falling front kick to his chest. Taken aback at the Autobot's sudden fury, Crow was suddenly put on the defensive as he saw a bee-like mask snap over the young fighter's face with a sharp metallic shing. _Uh oh. _Bumblebee fought furiously, landing major hits hand-to-hand, despite the Con's superior experience and skill, battering him severely until the spy had decided enough was enough.

With a clench of his right fist, Crow drove one of his swords into the Autobot's left shoulder, causing him to recoil in pain as Crow kicked him off, then rolled on his back and grabbed his fallen gauss pistol. Rising to his feet, the Con leveled the weapon at Bee and fired once.

"No!" Arcee yelled from his left, leaping toward him in a last-ditch effort, but it was too late.

The high-powered round slashed the side of Bee's neck and punched straight through, leaving him doubled over in pain, his left hand clutching the wound as blue energon spilled out. Arcee didn't fare much better, and was slammed backward with a sharp side-kick from Crow, who surveyed the two injured Autobots before transforming and driving to the extraction point. He breathed a sigh of relief when he exited the wall with no Autobots tailing him. Putting a finger to his ear, he activated comms to call for extraction.

"Blackout, I'm here, and I've got the drive." No response after ten seconds. "Blackout, do you read? Blackout!" Two seconds later, he got an answer, but not from his comms.

A high-velocity Nucleon round tore through his chest, followed by another in quick succession, the two projectiles missing his spark by mere inches. Falling on his back in agony, Crow coughed and wheezed, his body screaming at the sudden and critical trauma to his systems. Thoughts escaped him, so he had no time to analyze what might have been the cause of the attack before he saw him walk into his optics' field of vision.

"S-Sideways," he hissed out painfully.

The other Con grinned nastily as he closed down his sniper weapon and marched over to Crow's prone body before speaking in his trademark hiss. "Yes, my old rival. It's me." Reaching down toward Crow's chest with his left hand, he gripped a panel tightly as his other hand deployed a buzz saw and painfully cut the panel off. Crow screamed in agony at his injuries and stared in horror as Sideways pulled the data drive from his chassis.

"If you wanted the data," Crow started, interrupted by a sharp and painful cough, "you could've just asked."

Sideways gave him another evil smile. "Oh, but Lord Megatron wanted it this way." The sadistic Con watched in glee as Crow's optics widened in horror. "You see, he's noticed you've been getting soft, not following his orders quite like you used to. That miserable femme was a great example."

Crow let his head fall backward in mournful realization. Sideways was referring to Chromia, an Autobot prisoner of war and twin to Arcee. Starscream had ordered her execution after she and a few other Autobots tried to escape a prisoner transfer, to make an example for the rest of the POWs, but Crow refused. When Starscream questioned his motives, Crow claimed that she was not the instigator of the breakout, merely a participant, and that there were better ways to keep the prisoners in line. To demonstrate this, he cut off the hand of the escape attempt's leader and tore a sizable gash in his chest armor.

He doubted that Chromia or any of the others saw what he was trying to do for them, but it didn't matter. He had never been an executioner, and he wasn't about to start then. Now, as he looked into the hateful eyes of Sideways, part of him was regretting that decision, but the rest, and majority, of his spark held true. _At least I'll die with my honor. And my dignity. _Sideways offered no more words, and instead tucked the drive into his armor, transforming and driving away, presumably to the real extraction point.

As energon leaked out of his chassis, Crow reviewed the events of his life with mixed feelings. _When I joined the Decepticons, I thought I was fighting for the good of Cybertron. Now I realize that I've become the one thing I despise. An oppressor. _He vaguely remembered the distinctive roar of a motorcycle engine and a car following not far behind as his optics darkened and his body went into stasis lock to try and keep him alive.

…

Present

As Hawk finished his story, he looked down at Caden, who was staring at him in rapt attention.

"Wow," the spy said at last. "Just...wow." He looked away for a few seconds, his gaze drifting over nothing in particular. "So what happened afterward?"

"I was taken to a medical facility in Iacon and kept under heavy guard until I was stable enough to be brought before the Autobot council, or what was left of it, anyway. Sentinel Prime presided over the gathering, as his previous superior, Zeta Prime, had been killed by Megatron a few megacycles earlier. Needless to say, due to all the Autobot casualties I inflicted on his troops and my close relationship with Megatron, he wanted to execute me. Ironically, it was Bumblebee who stepped in.

"Optimus, now a Prime as well, backed him up, claiming that as Megatron's lieutenant, my strategic value would be greater alive than dead. I spoke up for the first time when he said that, and gave my agreement, telling them about Chromia, Sideways' attempt to kill me, and, most importantly, Megatron's betrayal. I had trusted him with my life and he betrayed me simply because I refused to descend to his level of barbarism. So I gave them everything. _Everything _I knew, which, as his chief intelligence and espionage officer at the time, was a lot. The intelligence they got from me very nearly won them the war, but the drive, the one Sideways got off of me, contained intel on a dangerous new weapon that Megatron nearly destroyed the Autobots with.

"After I eventually gained their trust, I was assigned to Optimus' team, partly because Sentinel wanted to keep an eye on me, parly because I was just that good. I changed my name to Hawk, and changed my paintjob to something a bit lighter to reflect my equally radical change in allegiance. Also found out from Ironhide that Chromia just so happened to be his sparkmate, our...equivalent of your human practice of marriage, so...he thanked me for sparing her life. We eventually broke her out of Kaon with a lot of other POWs, and she thanked me personally." Hawk smiled at the memory. "That was the first time I'd smiled in several Earth months.

"And, well, Cybertron got destroyed, mostly. We left, I got split up from Optimus, the Allspark got destroyed, and...I eventually found my way to Earth, right before you got busted."

Caden shook his head slowly, still trying to wrap his head around the story he'd just been told. "Man. And I thought I'd experienced betrayal. Can't even imagine what it must have felt like to know a friend of several hundred thousand years turned on you like that."

Hawk shook his head. "Megatron wasn't a friend, but he _was _my commanding officer, and I trusted him. Sometimes, that can be worse than being betrayed by a friend."

"I don't know about that. Can't really think of a time when I've felt worse." Caden looked down, contemplative.

"So what about you?"

The human spy looked up, snapped out of his thoughts by the sudden question, then out the hangar window at the fading sun. He half-smiled and shook his head. "Enough depressing stories for one day, I think. Besides-" he said, sliding himself off the crate he'd been sitting on, "-I'm hungry. And kinda jet lagged. Coming from DC to Arizona can have a pretty nasty effect on the human body and mind."

"So I hear from the soldiers." Hawk waited a moment, staring at Caden pensively. "As you wish. But you're _going _to spill your guts to me someday, understand?"

Caden arched an eyebrow and looked at the bot in mock terror. "Well, I certainly hope not."

Hawk rolled his eyes as his human friend broke out in laughter at the Bot's realization of what his expression had literally meant. "Sorry, I guess I just haven't gotten the hang of your human phrases just yet."

"Nope," Drake said with a grin, "you said it just fine. I just wanted to see you squirm."

Hawk snorted as they walked off toward the humans' mess hall together. "It'll take a lot more than a weird look and a bad joke to make me squirm." He looked down to find Caden's gleeful smile replaced by a sinister smirk.

"Then I look forward to testing your limits."

The statement actually brought a smile to Hawk's face. "So, when _do_ you plan on telling me your story, partner?"

Caden stopped mid-stride for barely an instant before resuming his normal pace, but Hawk picked it up. The boy looked up at him, arching one eyebrow. "Partner, huh?"

"If the skills you showed during that last attack were any indication, it's a real possibility."

Caden smiled at the thought as they walked toward the delicious smell of dinner.

* * *

AN: Yes, I know Sideways is supposed to be dead, but I figured no Decepticon should go down without a fight, so I decided that Sideswipe only critically wounded him, and since the NEST personnel thought he was dead, they left him be. Please review and recommend, as always.

Musical Inspirations (In order of appearance):

Transformers: ROTF - Einstein's Wrong: Hawk's explanation of Cybertron's history

Transformers Promotional Score - The All Spark: Megatron's briefing and Crow's takeoff toward Iacon

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - Stealth: Crow's infiltration and fight with Arcee and Bumblebee

Transformers: AOE - Your Creators Want You Back - Crow's exfil and Sideways' betrayal


	3. The Dragon's Fall

"So, when do you plan on telling me your story, partner?"

Caden stopped mid-stride for barely an instant before resuming his normal pace, but Hawk picked it up. The boy looked up at him, arching one eyebrow.

"Partner, huh?"

"If the skills you showed during that last attack were any indication, it's a real possibility."

Caden smiled at the thought as they walked toward the delicious smell of dinner.

…

Next day, morning

NEST regional installation and temporary HQ, 6 miles outside Pheonix, AZ

3 months after the death of the Fallen

Caden rolled out of his temporary bed and planted his bare feet on the cold concrete with a wince. _At least they keep the AC going in here, _he thought groggily. _Better than dealing with this insufferable heat. _Striding over to his small suitcase, he pulled out the outfit he'd planned on wearing: a pair of black cargo pants with his customary black nano-shirt. As he pulled the sleeveless top over his bare torso, he felt the familiar sleekness of its seamless fibers. _Damn thing's saved my life more times than I can count. _Hastily putting on his running shoes, Caden strode out the door at his usual fast pace, covering more distance with leg reach rather than actual rate of step. Five minutes later, he was entering the mess hall, where the scent of homemade cheese omelettes reached his nostrils.

"Ah," he said to no one in particular, "been a while since I've taken _that _in."

"You and me both, buddy," said a private seated at his right. "We musta done somethin' right for the brass to start breakin' out the good stuff."

Caden furrowed his brow and nodded at the soldier once before getting in line. _Wonder where Hawk is. He'll probably want to know about-_

"Hey, so, which do you usually go for in your omelette, bacon or corned beef?"

Caden snapped his head to look at the source of the voice, spotting a man about his height, with jet-black hair and blue eyes staring at him from behind with a grin. The spy's eyes widened. _Bright blue eyes._

"Hawk," he asked finally, with wide eyes, fully expecting the guy behind him to look at him as if he were crazy.

The man's smile faded to a look of shock and disappointment. "What gave me away?"

"Seriously, I was right?" Drake took the sour face as a yes. "Uh, if I had to guess, I'd say it was the eyes."

"Damn, have to have Ratchet take a closer look at this thing. If I can't even fool a human…"

"To your credit, I _have _been known to have...shall we say, an acute intuition." Hawk, or the man who claimed to be Hawk, snorted once before crossing his arms in frustration before Caden did another double-take. "Wait, how are you _here_, and _human_, for that matter?"

"Holoform," he replied, face still sour. "Projected when we're not in robot mode, or, can be, anyway. Supposed to let us blend in. Psht. So much for that."

Caden arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't think the general populace knows about it, either. If you had to go undercover like this, you probably could without a problem. Although, I'm not sure how far you'd get as a hologram."

"Not hologram," the Autobot corrected, "holoform. We can see, touch, hear everything through our holoforms. It's a like a secondary body for us."

Both of the spy's eyebrows shot up. "That's...some pretty advanced tech."

Hawk snickered. "Talking to a guy that transforms into a sports car?"

The teen shrugged. "Point." Turning back to the front, he moved up in line and opted for the corned beef with his omelette before sitting. He noticed Hawk sit down next to him without a tray. "Right, you don't _need _to eat. See? Almost forgot you were a bot." Caden flashed him a wry smile.

The Bot rolled his eyes. "Very funny."

The two friends were joined by Major Lennox, who was busy ironing out the specifics of Caden's status with NEST as a consultant, finding out his duties then relaying them to their new teammate.

"So," Caden said after Lennox finished his summary, "basically, I'm benched. Can't go into the field."

"No," Lennox said, slight annoyance seeping into his tone, "that's not what I said. You can be cleared for a combat role, definitely, but Optimus has concerns that being on the front lines might make you a target. Considering how things panned out last time you were in a firefight with Cons, I'm inclined to agree with him."

Caden involuntarily winced in guilt, remembering the names of the soldiers and civilians who died in the line of fire. After he had been granted access to NEST resources and intelligence, the young spy learned everything he could about those who died, as he usually did when someone gave their life for his, trying to understand the kind of people they were and honor their sacrifice by vowing to do better. _Some days are good. Others… _He shook his head, snapping out of his pessimism and looking at Lennox, who was getting a death stare from Hawk. The major noticed.

"Oh...I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Caden said, cutting him off. "I'm used to dealing with it." The table remained silent, all of them eating except Hawk and not saying a word until breakfast was almost finished.

"So Cade," Hawk said, breaking the silence, "I_ can _call you Cade, right?" He saw the spy nod. "I told you _my _backstory, and I gave you enough time to mull it all over, I think."

"So," Caden asked with an arched eyebrow.

"So, I showed you mine; show me yours." Hawk drew his eyebrows together in confusion at the strange glances that were pointed in his and Caden's direction. Looking at the spy for help, he just saw the kid shake his head and roll his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing," Lennox answered, giving his men a glance and breaking the stares.

Still confused, Hawk turned back to Caden. "So?"

Drake sighed heavily as he gulped down the last of his omelette. "Fine. But not here." Caden saw the Bot throw him another confused look. "It's private." Hawk's eyebrows shot up high, as if to say, "Wow, that bad?" Pressing his lips together, Caden led the Autobot out of the mess hall after dropping off his tray, making his way to his borrowed room. Entering, he left the door slightly open, and Hawk didn't close it. Caden sat heavily on his bed and let out another long breath as it bounced him in response. "Okay, so...hell, where do I even start?"

"The turning point," Hawk answered immediately. "Works for me."

"Yeah, but, the problem is, I don't exactly know where, or when that was."

Hawk shrugged and sat on a desk in the room. "Then just start at the beginning. I've got a massive attention span."

"Heh, I bet." Drake sighed again, his previous mirth vanishing completely as his face morphed into a mask of sad concentration, a single trace of grief visible even to Hawk's inexperienced optics. "Okay...it all started about...oh, eighteen years ago, when I was born."

Hawk's eyebrows shot up. "You're only eighteen?" Caden nodded. "Damn. None of the soldiers here are anywhere near that young, and from what I've seen, your skills are at least on par, if not greater than theirs. How is that, exactly?"

"I'm about to explain." Caden saw him nod once and press his lips together in focus. "There was this girl...Kara. She was born a few months before I was, and...we met when I was fifteen." The spy paused for a few seconds, becoming lost in a memory for a moment before regaining his focus and continuing.

"My parents, Caden and Alexandra Drake, stole several billion dollars and a highly advanced genetic formula codenamed Achilles that could completely change the genetic makeup and traits of a developing fetus. Raden Jadselit and his secret terrorist organization, the Keystone, had been working to develop it for years, basing their research on two previous projects: Dragon and Amazon, the latter of which he used to enhance Kara when her mother became pregnant. My parents were aware of this, and so took a single viable sample of the treatment, destroying all the rest, along with the project's research data. Three months later, as they entered the second trimester of Alexandra's own pregnancy, the couple injected the fetus with Achilles, giving him increased muscular density, _unparalleled_ hand-eye coordination, improved cellular regeneration, and a host of other genetic modifications meant to create the perfect human-me."

Hawk's eyebrows shot up, and he looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself as Caden continued.

"The former NSA and CIA agents trained me, teaching me everything they knew about their respective tradecrafts. I took in information, tactics, and techniques like a sponge from the moment they started me, at age three no less, preparing me for what you might say was an… inevitable battle against Raden and his legacy, yet not telling me either about that or the reason that I could learn and adapt so quickly. After the Keystone had my parents killed, I went into hiding at age ten and managed to stay one step ahead of them for five years before they finally caught up." He stopped and breathed in deeply, smiling wistfully in remembrance. "The year I met Kara, or, as I knew her back then, Janet. Within three months, she wormed her way into my heart and became my best friend, as well as something more the night she was kidnapped by the Keystone.

"At the time we met, she told me that she had a major case of episodic amnesia, and had no memory whatsoever of her early childhood, just extensive skills in hand-to-hand combat and the basics of espionage. We ran away together after I rescued her, separated, came back together again, and fought the Keystone for months in New York City, picking up two people in witness protection that quickly became like family. When she...'died,' I met the source of my five-year torment, an assassin known only by his Russian codename, Drakon. Drakon explained part of my parents' history, how I'd been the sole product of the Achilles project, and how my Jan was actually named Anne, and was, ironically, the daughter of my parents' arch-enemy. I killed the assassin on the same night, breaking his neck with a single punch after nearly half an hour of non-stop fighting, pushing my Achilles enhancements, of which I was finally aware, to the limit."

Hawk raised another eyebrow, clearly impressed, but remained silent.

"Needless to say, I mourned for her and threw myself into vengeance on them, taking Aria Bensen, the only remaining partner I had, and waging war against my parents' old enemy. After I dismantled a branched-off terrorist organization run by Carmine di Carmello, Ari all but forced me to take a break, seeing just how cold and self-abusing I'd become in my single-minded quest for revenge. I eventually relented and agreed to it, finding out a month later that Janet was actually alive and well by...indirect means. The girl I had watched die was actually a perfect, high-end clone of my friend.

"After my discovery, then seventeen, I took Aria and scoured the world for any information on Jan's whereabouts, eventually leading me to Moscow, where I discovered the Keystone's base of operations and its leader. I also, for the first time in a year and a half, saw Janet, then dubbed Anne Jadselit, her original birth name. She had been informed of her true parentage and taken the opportunity to get close to her father, to try and change him, to save him from the monster that he'd become." Caden shook his head mournfully. "As you might expect, it didn't work. For months, we played a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, Anne trying desperately to find balance and the way to reconcile the parts of herself that loved both me and her father. Eventually, it all came down to what happened nine months ago.

"I had been collecting data and intel on the Keystone's final solution for months, and, just five days before its execution, sent everything he had to the CIA, to the NSA, Interpol, to anyone that could or would do anything about the worldwide initiative known as _Obshchego Vraga_, which translates to "the Common Enemy." Raden's final plan was to have his forces spread throughout the globe and commit various acts of terror, then have the Keystone take credit for it and cause all the nations of the world to fight against him. By sacrificing a few hundred thousand people, he assumed, the Keystone could unite the people of the world and end the 'petty conflicts' they had been embroiled in since the dawn of civilization."

Caden snorted contemptuously. "Psycho. With the U.S. spearheading worldwide operations against the organization under a temporary international initiative dubbed the 'Joint Task Force,' I went personally to Moscow, omitting the city as the location for the Keystone's headquarters in my communique to the JTF. I confronted Raden in his office near the headquarters' top floor and fought him with everything I had, finding the battle much more difficult due to yet_ another _project brought about by the Keystone. The Russian had used his daughter's chromosomes to reconstitute Project Amazon, jumping his current research forward years and starting on a new iteration: Project Hercules.

"Hercules was designed to be used on a fully grown subject, and, after I almost single-handedly defeated him in a fair fight, the Keystone director used it on himself. This was a fact the Russian was most grateful for, since the very next day, I, following my parents' example, destroyed the Hercules lab, the formula samples, and all of his research data, even getting to several hidden drives that were off the main servers. Understandably angered, Raden sent for Anne and had her meet him in the main headquarters, where _I_ was waiting for him. When I attempted to assassinate the director, Anne stepped in and fought me, our styles different but skills evenly matched.

"Desperate to stop her best friend and former boyfriend from killing her father, Anne tried to talk me down, refusing to fight her hardest, and instead was knocked unconscious after an extended fight. Enraged, Raden tackled me, beating me half senseless before pickin' me up and throwin' me off the second floor of the building. I survived the fall and continued my intel collection on the Keystone. One month later, when the hammer fell and the Joint Task Force stopped Raden's efforts, we fought hard while a conflicted Anne looked on helplessly as the two people she loved the most beat each other to death."

…

9 months ago

Moscow, Russia

"Raden!" The name was screamed out furiously, its release dragged out over the course of three seconds as the speaker stormed toward the office door of the man in question. Finding it open, he entered and stood in the doorway, fists clenched, watching the man on the far side of the 30-yard room, who was looking out the window intently, hands clasped behind his back, body faced away from the young man addressing him. Slowly, he turned his head to face him and spoke.

"Drake," he hissed out with similar fury. Striding up to his desk, the Keystone director keyed on a holoprojector that showed a ghostly, transparent representation of the globe, with several large red dots all over the world. "I take this is _your _doing," he asked with extra venom, indicating the dots.

Caden smirked with a snarl. "Had a little help, but yeah." Striding toward the director at an angle, the seventeen-year-old spy walked slowly, to give his emphasis to his words and his enemy enough time to understand that it was over. "Sure, CIA, NSA, MI6...they all set off the explosion that's gonna destroy this place-" he waved to figuratively indicate the building and headquarters, "-but I'm the one who gave them the grenade."

"Bastard," Raden hissed out again. "You've destroyed the only chance for unification in the world."

Caden laughed derisively. "You. Idiot. Did you really think that hundreds,_ thousands _of years of gripes would suddenly vanish overnight? Under _any _circumstances?" He laughed again, making the fire in Raden's eyes burn even hotter. "That's just rich."

"Nothing unites like a common enemy," the older man defended.

"Maybe, for a little while, but humans are stubborn, and the one thing they tend to hold onto more than almost anything is hate." Caden gave him a pointed look with narrowed eyes and slightly flared nostrils. "I would know. You may have had a day of unity, a week at most, and then the people of this world would've gone right back to killing each other, over money, pride, revenge, bigotry." He leaned toward the director, hands braced on either side of his desk. "And_ nothing _would have changed."

Raden snarled viciously before turning back to the window. "You've ruined…everything." His head snapped back in the boy's direction, anger twisting his features. "_Everything_!" The director stormed back to his desk and slammed his fists down. "You've taken my daughter's love, my research, my plan…" He looked down in grief before adding, "My son."

Drake's eyes widened. "Son? I...killed your son?"

Raden's cold gray eyes met his. "Yes, you did. Two years ago. In New York."

Caden's eyes narrowed in concentration at who he could possibly mean before his expression changed dramatically and it all hit him like a freight train. "Drakon." The subtle change in Raden's face was enough to let him know he was right. "The Dragon...was your _son_?"

"Not...technically, no." Raden turned away, grief and rage warring for control in his features. "He was my clone. The Dragon Project was my first iteration of physiological enhancements, and we used my DNA as the test sample. Rapidly grown. What would normally take nine months in the womb of a woman took mere weeks. He...he looked just like me."

Thinking to himself, recalling the Dragon's face with his photographic memory, he admitted to himself that he could see the similarities, though the assassin's "father" looked far older and harder. _End results of leading the life of a murderer, I suppose. _Since Drakon had been raised by him, he suspected he didn't think anything wrong about what he did. Looking at the man responsible for the deaths of his parents, of countless innocents, of Aria's parents… He shook his head slightly before staring at the director's back._ I almost pity him. _His teeth clenched slightly. _Almost._

"Yes," Caden said, his voice surprisingly even given his train of thought, but still more gravelly than normal, "he did. Can't believe I never made the connection. Not something I usually miss." Raden shot him a glare and kept it up, but Caden's face remained impassive and he kept his stare without flinching. Without breaking his gaze, Raden spoke again.

"It doesn't matter now. Because he's dead." He gave another long pause, nostrils flaring slightly. "By your hand."

The words sent a familiar pinch through Caden's system, and he turned around and paced away at hearing his own words to Raden's 'son' almost two years before when the topic of his parents came up.

_"Why not just destroy both the data and all the formula?"_

_"They knew about Anne. About what she would be able to do when she got older. Because of that, even they had cause to fear her."_

_"They why not just kill her and eliminate the risk?" _

_The assassin rolled his eyes at him. "Because, unlike you, they weren't murderers." Caden's face twitched. "Killing the yet-unborn child would have involved harming the mother, an uninvolved woman my employer essentially used as an incubator."_

_"I guess none of that matters now. They're all dead because of you." _

Against his judgement, guilt started to seep into Caden's veins. _I've done no less to cause this man pain than he has to me. So what's the difference between us? _Meeting his eyes again, he saw the man staring at him with an almost imperceptible smirk and glanced at the holographic display again, noting the red dots with purpose. _That's the difference._

"The people I've killed," the boy said finally, "the lives I've ended...whether they ended with clean deaths or not, they were all...evil." Caden saw Raden's mouth twitch at the word as the younger spy started striding back around the desk to his side, slowly, with purpose. "What you've done-is evil." He pointed at the display sharply "What you _planned_ to do-was evil." Facing the director with nothing between them, a mere four feet away, he scowled and started another tense staring contest. "There's just no comparison."

Raden's gray eyes bore holes into Caden's dark brown ones as the two of them just seemed to stare at each other, completely immobile to any onlookers. Contrary to their physical appearance, both of their minds were running a million miles a minute, sizing each other up in anticipation for the inevitable fight. Setting his face, the Keystone director finally broke the silence.

"Then we have nothing more to discuss."

Immediately, Raden went for the P90 under his desk, but Caden was expecting the move, and lunged forward, kicking his hand away from the gun and following with a right cross that his opponent ducked and countered with a thrusted right elbow. The blow knocked him back slightly, Raden's now-enhanced strength giving extra force to his attacks on top of his previously considerable physique. Drake withdrew a bit more before spinning clockwise and delivering a powerful left roundhouse kick to the desk after his first rotation, causing the oak desk to glide several feet across the polished wooden floor of the office before resuming his engagement.

Going on the offensive, Caden leapt into the air and delivered a flying right cross to Raden's jaw before staggering back against the impact of the director's left knee and narrowly jerking his head out of the range of a right hook. As they fought across the spacious room, Caden noted that the director's style was strong, favoring aggression and brute force over tact, but with its own flow and grace as Raden seamlessly transitioned from attack to defense to counterattack and back again. Every time Caden lunged forward, Raden pushed him back with superior strength, leading the younger and less experienced spy to adapt his environment to his needs.

Rushing for the desk, he leapt horizontally over it, right hand grabbing a ballpoint pen from a caddy as he fell and rolled, knocking it over and scattering its contents as he uncapped his makeshift weapon. Raden kept eyeing the desk, and he knew the director was waiting for him to go for the gun. He wouldn't. _No, Jadselit. After all this time, all this pain and heartache, I'm not going to end it so easily. I'm going to_ prove_ I'm better than you. Body, mind, and morals. _Caden strode closer to him again, striking a defensive stance despite his weapon advantage. He held the pen underhandedly, favoring this position due to versatility and striking with his unarmed left hand.

Raden parried the jab easily, almost expecting it, and delivered a 360 roundhouse kick aimed at Caden's midsection. The spy shifted backward six inches, feeling the wind rush off his opponent's limb before he moved back in. Landing a solid push-kick on Raden's left hip, he lunged forward and drove a right uppercut into his lower ribs, then flipped the pen to an overhand position and brought the tip to bear on his neck with blinding speed. The director caught his rising wrist just as fast, the tip three inches from its target as Caden struggled to free his arm from Raden's iron grip.

Snarling in contempt, Raden drew the spy's right arm to the side, then head-butted him solidly, kicking him back and off his feet. Caden recovered mid-air, driving his hands backward and cushioning himself with a backward roll. Raden took advantage of the temporary vulnerability and tackled his shorter opponent into the air, right hand on his throat, left keeping the pen well out of reach as he shoved him roughly against a nearby wall, hand constricting around the spy's windpipe.

"Father, stop!"

Caden's eyes glanced behind Raden's head at the voice, flashing an emotion between shock and relief. The director's grip didn't relax.

"Look away, Anne!" he shouted to her. "I don't want you to see this."

"Father, please!"

He turned his head to look at her. "I said go!"

Caden took advantage of the momentary distraction to drop the pen from his right hand and use his left hand to catch it underhandedly, stabbing it into the bicep of the hand strangling him. Raden roared in pain and rage, releasing his neck and hand as he withdrew and used his left hand to try and get the weapon out of his arm. The boy gasped for air, having almost passed out, and hesitated only a second before leaping four feet into the air and driving both elbows downward into his opponent's shoulders. This elicited a yell from Raden, but not much else, and the younger man's eyes widened at the absence of bone-cracking snaps.

Despite the intense pain he must have been feeling, as well as the significant blood flow in his right arm, Raden slugged the shocked spy in the jaw with a right cross, snapping him back and charging forward again to take advantage of his weakness. Caden rolled away, twisting out of his reach and withdrawing to another side of the room, barely sparing a glance at Anne. Still growling, the director took the reprieve as an opportunity to yank the pen out of his arm and toss it aside. Both of them breathing heavily, neither made a move against the other, the fifteen-foot distance keeping them from making any sudden moves.

"Please," Anne said desperately, "stop this. We can find a way to-"

"_Net, dorogoy_. He is set in his ways." Raden, like his opponent, didn't spare a look at his daughter.

"As are you," Caden snarled back. "He's beyond saving, Anne. Why can't you see that?"

"And why can't you see what I'm trying to do," the director asked angrily, abandoning his stance. "Why must we kill each other like the rabble out there?" He waved vaguely toward the windows. "I started this organization to fix the world."

"And that, _that_ is the arrogance of man. Hubris." Caden shook his head. "You think you're the first man to try and fix the effects of 'original sin'?"

"No, but I am greater than they were. Superior."

Caden scoffed. "Superior? Only in your mind and body. Your soul is empty and heartless. You have no honor."

"And what has your vaunted honor earned you? A life of pain and loss, of grief, of _loneliness_? You have the power to change the world, Caden. You shouldn't be fighting me, you should be _helping _me! Like _she _is!" He motioned to his daughter, drawing Caden's gaze to the six-foot brunette in earnest. The look of pure grief on her face, of conflict, was almost enough to shatter the boy's resolve to see this through. _But, if she hasn't interfered...physically…_

Caden turned back to her father. "Is she? Has she really been helping you all these months?"

He nodded solemnly. "She's made me a better man. In time, even a good one."

Caden shook his head slowly, almost despairingly. "Not good enough. Not now. We may have been subjected to the same process, the same basic genetic treatment, but we aren't the same. Our actions dictate our worth, not our genes or power."

"So let me help you do something with your gift. Something more than chasing dust and shadows across the globe. Instead of hiding from the world, from humanity, you could rule them. Make the world as you wanted it. You have far more years left in you than me, even with Hercules. We could see our great planet restored to its condition of utopia within a generation of us. You love my daughter. It only makes sense that we join forces." Raden erroneously took Caden's gaping expression as a sign that he was actually considering his offer. "You are a man of faith, are you not?"

Looking at him strangely at the sudden change in topic, Caden answered warily. "I am, though it's been shaken in recent memory."

"In the Revelations of the Bible, God cleanses the world in fire, killing more than half the population so that those who are left can restore the Earth. More than half. What I was trying to do was much smaller scale, and would have achieved the same results."

Caden half-wanted to stare at him agape, but instead found his features twisted in disgust. "First off, it's _Revelation_, singular, and second-" He gave a disgusted exhale. "Second, you are _not _a god. You're not even a man. You're a psycho, a murderer… a monster." Raden's previous hopeful glint vanished at Caden's words. The spy raised his left hand and pointed his index finger at him firmly, his other fingers clenched. "And I am going to stop you." The two enhanced spies charged at each other, bellowing furiously as Anne vainly tried to shout them to a stop.

They tangled furiously, Caden leaping into a flying knee as they approached one another, bowling over the director and rolling on impact with the ground, spinning to face his enemy as the director was already recovering. They grappled, arms locked around one another, trying to find an advantage, some form of leverage to throw the other off. Raden overrode Caden's grip momentarily, getting him into a clinch and hammering away with knees that the shorter teen had to use both hands to stop. Grabbing the underside of an incoming leg, Caden pushed forward, tackling the director to the ground and pounding on him relentlessly, all technique tossed aside in favor of sheer brutality.

Raden grasped him by the throat suddenly and threw him off, only staggering him briefly, as the spy rolled away and regained his footing to reengage him. A flying sidekick from Caden landed directly on his sternum, forcing him back a few steps but otherwise dealing minor damage. They pounded each other relentlessly, nearly all manner of defense abandoned, neither of them caring about the pain, the injuries, the bruises and cuts that were inflicted, the desperate sobs of the girl in the background. Caden tackled Anne's father over his desk and pinned him to the floor, hands wrapped around his neck until the man under him retrieved another pen from the fallen caddy with his left hand and thrust it into his lower ribs.

Yelling in pain, Caden recoiled and was pushed off with a strong palm heel to his solar plexus. Struggling to his feet, the younger fighter barely managed to keep his hands up as Raden laid blow after blow into him, occasionally stabbing his arm or leg with the pen still in his hand. Ducking under a lunge, Caden used his momentum to add force to an elbow, cracking a few ribs for sure and spinning behind his opponent, twisting the outstretched arm at a painful angle and kicking out Raden's left knee. The director growled in pain and thrust the pen backward as he fell, shoving the tip into Caden's left forearm. Drake withdrew before he could get in another hit and crescent-kicked the exposed shaft of the pen, shattering it before driving a hook kick into Raden's jaw.

The director staggered slightly before shoving himself backward on his right leg, crashing his much larger bulk into his opponent. Caden was ready for the move and kept his footing, moving away to catch his breath as Raden got to his feet. Both of them paced in a circle, Caden bleeding from multiple locations, some of the cuts already clotting and scabbing up thanks to Achilles, the same for Raden thanks to Hercules. Their movements were stiff, their response times sluggish, Raden favoring his right leg. A few glancing blows were exchanged before they both withdrew again. Both were breathing heavily.

"You're right, you know. I've taken a lot from you," Caden said heavily, thinking back to the start of their confrontation. "As you have from me. But your daughter… I never took your daughter. She came to me…of her own accord."

"Only because she lost her memory," Raden bit back acerbically.

"And that's my point." Caden saw him narrow his eyes questioningly. "She lost her memory because you didn't take the time to find out if there were any side effects. To verify the benefits and figure out the risks."

"That would have taken another ten years...and would you really have wanted me to make another child go through that?"

"I would have preferred you mothball the whole damn thing!" Caden yelled before breathing for a moment or two to compose himself. "But you didn't. And she paid the price. We _all_ paid the price. And now I have to fix your mistake."

"My mistake," the director asked with a smirk. "My _mistake_? Without my mistake, you wouldn't _be_ here. Your parents would never have had you if they didn't have a threat that needed handling, and even if they had, you, along with them, would have died long before this moment." He snarled viciously as Caden looked at him murderously. "I created you."

The young man just shook his head. "You didn't create me. Caden and Alexandra Drake did." He rushed forward suddenly, and with a strength Raden didn't know possible, picked up the Keystone director with both hands, spinning and throwing him six feet into his desk before he could react. "And you spit on their graves saying otherwise. My parents loved me because they saw me as not just their victory, but their future." He looked at Anne, whose eyes were still running and face was still twisted in pain. "Family is more than blood." He turned back to his recovering opponent. "And you never understood that."

"There's nothing to understand," Raden growled out painfully, rising to his feet after hitting the desk chest-first. "Your family ends today, with you. Blood or no blood, you have no one left."

Caden's mouth opened slightly and his heart felt as if it were pierced. As much as he wanted to deny it, he was right. _No parents, no siblings. _He looked at Anne longingly. _No friends. _His gaze drifted downward in defeat, and despair gripped him as it never had before. _So close...and I can't even find a reason to go on. _He barely registered the approaching footsteps as Raden put the barrel of his P90 to the young spy's head.

"_Otets_!" a desperate female voice screamed from behind Caden, causing Raden's hand to waver over the trigger. When it started to squeeze again, he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Annie, but this is for the best." He still hesitated, and that last-second hesitation cost him.

Caden's right hand snapped to the wrist holding the gun, shifting the barrel at a wall as his left hit the mag release and pushed the slide back, pulling it forward and off the gun, effectively disarming him before he shoved what was left of the pistol into his face. Caden staggered backward at the blow and rolled away, running for another wall with his opponent in hot pursuit. As he came to the wall, Raden caught up, driving a haymaker toward where his kidney was.

Or should have been.

As his running body reached the vertical surface, Caden ran up it and flipped backward, his right foot spinning perpendicular to the ground and driving straight into Raden's head as he fell back to the ground. The blow stunned the director, and he took advantage to lock his right arm with Raden's left, cartwheeling his body over his opponent's near-horizontal back and using the momentum to flip him over, throwing him several feet away.

"Caden!"

He snapped his head around at Anne's voice, no longer the grief-struck wreck it was before, now determined, almost fierce. And he saw it. Flying through the air was a silver-and-black object that he knew all too well. Seeing Raden get to his feet and start lunging at him in his peripheral vision, he rolled away, tracking the object's trajectory to come up where it would land. Raden adjusted his course and ran for Caden again, his body between Caden's and a tall glass window just fifteen feet behind him. As the younger spy got to his feet, he saw the object of his salvation and reached up to grab it, the tip of his index finger hitting the front of the hilt and his body's counterclockwise spin rotating it within a split-second midair, facing it forward and allowing him to catch the back of the hilt with the palm of his hand, his finger fitting easily into the trigger-guard as his thumb hit the safety.

Leveling a loaded .45 caliber pistol at Raden's chest.

Their eyes met, and only a stare of grievous understanding passed between them before Caden squeezed the trigger. Raden staggered back with the impact, pressing his hand to the wound and drawing it away bloody as if to confirm that he was still mortal. _Why don't I prove it to you, you son of a bitch?! _Caden snarled slightly and fired again, shoving him back a few more feet before unloading another bullet, striding toward him confidently, angrily as a roar built in his chest. The rage burned inside him, rage at the Keystone, at himself, at the man standing before him as he unloaded three more shots, driving Raden Jadselit, his enemy, his parents' enemy, his best friend's father, within a foot of the window.

Casting the pistol aside, Caden roared in fury and sprinted at the mortally wounded terrorist, landing on his left foot to deliver a single heel kick to his sternum, knocking him back with the force of a 45 mph car-right through the window. The whole world seemed to slow to a crawl as the young spy, orphaned and alone, watched the object of his long-time hatred fall forty stories to his instantaneous death. He was too high up to hear the sickening crack of bones at the impact, but Caden could have sworn he heard thunder at the exact moment of his passing. He took in a ragged breath, more in relief than pain, despite his extensive injuries, and turned to see Anne looking on, arms crossed, eyes red and running over.

He awkwardly strode over to her, an expression of pity and even guilt on his face at the emotional state she was in.

"Anne," he said raggedly, almost whispering. "I'm...so sorry." He meant it.

And she saw.

Anne Jadselit, once Janet Daniels, his best friend and girlfriend, the only girl he'd ever loved, wrapped her arms around his neck and cried earnestly, releasing every tear and scrap of emotion she'd been holding back since they'd first seen each other again.

"No, Cade. _I'm_ sorry. For not seeing. For-for not wanting to see."

Even without proper explanation, he knew exactly what she meant. "I forgive you. Family is more than blood...but blood is still family. And sometimes, you just can't let that go." As he held her close and allowed himself to share her grief, he felt his previous despair and loneliness start to melt away. _Raden said I was alone, and I believed him. After everything he'd done to hurt me, I believed him. _After a minute or two, she drew away slightly, arms still wrapped around his neck, and looked into his dark eyes, hers still red.

"I forgive you too. No matter what." Closing her eyes and holding him closer, she pressed her lips against his for the first time in nearly two years.

And he didn't pull away.

No matter how much his mind or sensibilities told him belatedly that it wasn't the time or place, he couldn't deny her this. Couldn't deny himself this. Then, more than ever before, he felt relieved. More, for the first time in years, seven years, to be exact, he felt...at peace. With himself _and _the world.

So he just stopped fighting.

…

Present

NEST regional installation and temporary HQ, 6 miles outside Pheonix, AZ

Caden ended his story just after 1:00, and turned to Hawk's still-attentive holoform, who was staring at him intently and seemed to get the picture when Caden just stopped talking.

"Hell of a story," was all the Bot could say.

"All true."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Leaning back against Caden's desk again, Hawk stared off into the distance. "So what happened to the rest of the Keystone?"

The eighteen-year-old breathed in deeply. "Well, once they found out their boss was dead, ownership of the organization went to his daughter. She let whoever was left know that she wouldn't turn them in...yet, and informed them that as of that night, all Keystone operations worldwide were to cease and all operatives return to headquarters. She also changed her name to Kara Bensen."

"Wait, Bensen. Isn't that…"

"Aria Bensen's surname? Yeah," Caden responded with a nod. "During the time we lived together in New York, the two of them became like sisters. After what happened to Ari's biological sister…" He shook his head slightly. "Let's just say I don't blame her. And she couldn't have picked better family."

"So what happened next?"

"Well...I spent the next week with her. Literally. We barely left each other's side."

"Sounds serious."

Caden nodded. "It was. Is." He sighed. "It's complicated. We never did uh...you know." Hawk looked at him quizzically. "You know. No?" The Bot shook his head. "Well, for the best probably. Anyway, a few days in, she told me she was taking control of the Keystone to right her father's wrongs by dismantling any previous Keystone operations who either didn't go down with the JTF's efforts or refused to follow her orders. Basically turn them from international assassins and criminals into a counter-terrorist group. I disagreed, things got a little tense, and...I decided to leave. I just...needed some space from it all."

"You weren't at all worried that she might instead take up her father's torch?"

"I did, at first, but when I saw the look in her eyes, the guilt...I don't know. I guess I just instinctively knew that she'd learned his lesson." Caden stared at the floor longingly and sighed. "I still love her."

Hawk nodded in understanding. "I know. I can tell. It's the same with Cybertronians. When we find someone like that, we have a hard time letting go, and if there's really no reason to...then we don't. Sometimes even in death."

Caden arched an eyebrow at him before nodding solemnly. "I can definitely understand that."

They sat there for a few more minutes, lost in their own thoughts, before Hawk spoke up. "Hey, come on. Somethin' I want to show you."

Caden obediently stood and followed the holoform to a familiar Lamborghini, sitting in the driver's seat but letting him take the controls as his holoform vanished. They drove for barely a minute before reaching another hangar, this one slightly longer than the rest. As Caden dismounted, Hawk transformed and strode toward the far end, and a blue Autobot with spiky white...hair, for lack of a better description. _Mechanical hair. _Caden shrugged. _Guess it's not entirely preposterous._

"Hey Que!" Hawk called loudly enough for the focused Bot to hear. The Autobot addressed as Que turned sharply, a monocle-like lense over his right eye from examining something comparatively minute and obviously sensitive.

"Ah," he said to Hawk courteously, "good. You've finally arrived." Looking down at Hawk's left, the Scottish-sounding Bot smiled warmly. "And brought the man himself. Excellent." Caden looked at Hawk questioningly.

"Long story. Better if I just show you." The steel-gray Bot motioned to Que, and he reached over to the Cybertronian-sized table he was working on, gingerly lifting two of its contents and handing them to Hawk. He, in turn, crouched down and opened his hand, offering them to Caden.

Looking down into the metal palm, what he saw astonished him. "Hawk, that's...my Daggertail. And my Sig." He picked up the items in question, tucking the pistol in the back of his pants so he could heft the rifle two-handed.

"Yep," his metal friend responded. "I had Que here add some stabilizing components we use in our own weapons. Add that to the foregrip and custom stock, and it should barely kick when you're firing it normally. Same for your pistol."

Caden mouthed "wow" to him, eyes still glued to the rifle before he noticed some differences along the length of the barrel, and thought more deeply about what Hawk had just said. "Wait...firing it 'normally'?"

Hawk gave him a feral grin before explaining. "There's now a secondary fire mode on both weapons that kicks in a little invention by Que here."

"It's called a magnetic accelerator, laddie," the inventor said. "I won't bore you with all the technical details, but essentially-"

"It used concentrated magnetic fields to accelerate projectiles to massive speeds," the human finished for him. He looked up at the sudden silence to find both of them staring at him. "What? I play Halo. I know what a MAC does."

Hawk arched an eyebrow in confusion, but didn't ask further. "Anyway, it's the same tech I use in my gauss pistols," he said, patting his hips for emphasis. "Should give you a considerable edge against any Cons you might face in the field."

"Huh...thanks."

"You're welcome. And see? You won't be sidelined, but you also won't be just another soldier, either."

Caden admired the new features of his weapons for another minute or so before furrowing his brow. "Why are you doing all this for me? What's with the weapons and special treatment? I doubt any of the other soldiers have this kind of tech."

Hawk exchanged a look with Que before explaining. "It's Optimus. He used your PDA to monitor your fight in Pheonix, with the Combaticon. It's how I knew where to find you." Caden's face flashed in realization. "Anyway...he saw what you did. What you were able to do at close range. From what you've told me about your skills and abilities, you can do things that none of these soldiers can. Prime figures that if we equip you well, not only will you have a better chance of staying alive in the field, but you'll do a helluva lot more damage." Hawk fidgeted nervously before adding, "Besides...as much as I respect the others, I think you're the one I trust the most."

Caden arched an eyebrow. "Why? I mean, not that I'm complaining, but how does _that _make any sense? After all, our first meeting involved me fleeing from a bunch of your friends and you sticking a big-ass gun in my face."

"And killing your car," Hawk added glibly.

"And killing my car," Caden agreed, barely restraining a smile. "So?"

Hawk shrugged. "I don't know. Guess it's just…" He thought for a moment before smirking. "Intuition."

Caden finally let out a laugh, and Hawk joined him.

"Oh," he said suddenly, as if he'd forgotten something, "almost slipped my mind. There's one more piece of equipment I'd like you to have. Que."

"Ah, of course, laddie. Can't forget _this_ one. One of a kind, that is." The genius Bot was referring to a foot-long silver metal object with some kind of black polymer wrapped around one end. As Hawk lowered his hand to give his final gift to Caden, the spy's eyes widened and he gave out a small gasp.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Reaching out, Caden gripped the polymer end and lifted it, marveling at the lightness of it. He was holding a knife with an eight-inch blade, impossibly sharp on the entirety of one edge, and of the same sharpness about a third of the blade from the tip down on the backside.

"It's a Cybertanium knife," Hawk explained. "One of the rarest and hardest metals known on Cybertron. Very nearly indestructible."

Caden's eyes widened further as they met his optics. "Hawk, I-I don't know what to say. This is...man it's amazing." He gave it a few experimental swings, still amazed that something metallic of that size could be so light when Hawk snapped his swords from his arms.

"It's what _these _are made of," the Bot added with a smug grin, "so it better be."

Looking up, Caden saw what looked like a notch in his left-hand blade and initially passed it off as a piece that broke off during regular use. _But wait, he said Cybertanium was nearly indestructible, so it couldn't have, unless…_

"Hawk, no," Drake said in realization, holding up the knife. "You took a piece of your sword to make this?" His Autobot friend nodded, still smiling. "I-I can't accept this."

"Oh please. I've gotten by with more than just a notch in my blades, and besides...it might come in handy someday." Caden was about to open his mouth to protest further, but Hawk stopped him. "It's a gift, partner. Free and sincere." He nodded toward the blade. "Keep it."

Finally relenting, Caden broke into a smile and looked at the shining blade. "Thank you." His smile went wider as his eyes met Hawk's optics. "Partner."

* * *

AN: Please review and recommend, as always. Next chapter will begin the real action, now that the background for both OCs is done.

Translations:

Russian:

_Net, dorogoy_ \- No, sweetheart

_Otets_! - Father!

Musical Inspirations:

Far Cry 3 - Far Cry 3: Raden vs. Caden, 4:25 - first shot, 4:46 - Raden's fall


	4. Trust

"Hawk, no," Drake said in realization, holding up the knife. "You took a piece of your sword to make this?" His Autobot friend nodded, still smiling. "I-I can't accept this."

"Oh please. I've gotten by with more than just a notch in my blades, and besides, it might come in handy someday." Caden was about to open his mouth to protest further, but Hawk stopped him. "It's a gift, partner. Free and sincere. Keep it."

Finally relenting, Caden broke into a smile and looked at the shining blade. "Thank you." His smile went wider as his eyes met Hawk's optics. "Partner."

…

3 months later

The Maze, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

6 months after the death of the Fallen

"Contact negative. Still waiting on intel."

Caden paced nervously at the declaration over comms., the black NEST bodysuit clinging uncomfortably to all the wrong places as his body streamed with sweat. He could stand heat, but shunned humidity. Unfortunately, this place had both. Nervously fingering the trigger guard of his Daggertail, the consultant checked his watch and gear for the umpteenth time, wishing the Con would come out of hiding already so they could vaporize it and get back home. Before they had stepped onto the cargo plane from DC to Brazil, an alarm had gone off from energon detectors in the massive, mountainous city, prompting the local government to call NEST to verify. Less than half an hour later, they were booked to go to South America.

Now, Caden was standing on the corner of a deserted street in the hottest part of the day, his only respite from the oppressive heat the shade that came from having three-story buildings next to six-foot-wide streets. "The Maze," as the surrounding area was called, had been aptly named, its narrow, twisting streets sitting on the side of a mountain, giving the area an uneven, tiered look that, Drake had to admit, had a sense of beauty about it. _Still can't believe that a Decepticon would hide out here, especially with all these tight corners._

"Hawk," he spoke into their private comm., "you usually have a sixth sense about these things, so what's your opinion on the opposing force? How many you think?"

There was a silence from the other end for a few moments before he got a response. "Well, based on the level of energon detected and the lack of maneuvering room, I'd say one, maybe two. If they know about the sensors, though, it's possible they're hiding their signatures somehow."

Caden nodded absently and checked his ammo again, a frown of concentration creasing his features.

"Stop it, Cade."

His head snapped up. "Stop what?"

"Being nervous. You'll do fine. You have for the last three months."

Drake scoffed lightly. "Well excuse me if I'm still not used to fighting guys that are a couple dozen feet taller than me, and a lot tougher."

"If they were really that much tougher, you wouldn't be standing here, don't you think?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yes, I know, and I'm telling you your fears are absolutely unfounded."

"Considering it took me around five years to fully wrap my head around fighting my own kind, how long do you think it'll take me to adapt to fighting yours?" He heard a grunt over the radio.

"Touche."

No more words passed between them as they eagerly waited for the scouting team to finish their reconnaissance. While he doubted that Hawk was one to unduly compliment him, Caden couldn't help but think that maybe he was stretching just how much of a help he'd been. Just a little. Upon considering it further, though, he realized that the million-year-old bot quite obviously had the advantage of experience in these situations, so Caden silently deferred to his judgement, and decided that if he said he was fine, he would continue to do what he had been doing. Though he prided himself on having monumental patience, he fidgeted more in the abnormally intense heat, pulling at his collar irritably as the wait started to get to him.

"Hawk, do you think-"

"Contact! Contact sighted!" Sudden and intense gunfire was heard over Lennox's voice as he and two other squads engaged their first Decepticon.

"Copy that," Drake responded sharply as he mounted into Hawk, "moving to assist."

"Negative! We got another energon spike a quarter klick north of your position!" More gunfire and shouting was heard on the other end.

"Roger. Hawk, let's go!"

The Lambo rumbled in response as the Autobot floored the accelerator and drove as fast as he could in the crowded favela streets. Caden double and triple-checked his weapons, flicking the on switch to activate the MA fire mode on both weapons, keeping the safety in his pistol on. They hit another bump in the neglected roads and bounced twice, the spy keeping one hand on the dashboard to steady himself as they approached the target area. When the quarter-kilometer started to run out, Epps' voice was heard over the radio.

"Scans show you should be right on top of it!"

"Copy," Hawk responded. "Caden-"

"I know," his partner interrupted, opening his side door as he slowed to a stop and clambered out, heading for the nearest roof access to get a vantage point. Out of the corner of his eye, Drake saw Hawk transform and draw one of his pistols in his right hand, his chipped Cybertanium sword in his left. Unconsciously, the human reached toward the knife at his hip, double-checking it was still there, something that had become a nervous habit in the last three months. He knew what making that knife had cost his friend, and was determined never to lose it despite the fact that he had never lost combat possessions before. _Still, better safe than sorry. _As he proceeded to the roof, he lost track of Hawk, noting with admiration his partner's ability to stay hidden and move silently despite his size and weight.

"Caden, got a line on the enemy. Major heat sig about 200 meters west of you."

"Copy." Drake broke into a run, clipping his Daggertail to the harness on his back, the weight evenly distributed as he sprinted into position, leaping from one crowded rooftop to the next. Nearing the target, he drew the rifle again and swept the area below him, the red dot on his scope glowing urgently as he looked for signs of movement. "I got nothing. Visibility is poor from up here, but so is maneuvering room down there. If you spot him, be careful and shoot first, 'cause there's zero room to dodge."

"Copy."

Caden leapt to another roof, landing almost noiselessly on the balls of his feet as he made his way to another vantage point. "Still nothing," he whispered into his comm., knowing Cybertronians had very acute auditory sensors. Immediately after the words left his mouth, a single word in Cybertronian was heard, clear as day, that he had learned little more than two months ago: transform. A moment later, muffled, metallic thumps were heard from the street below, and Caden pressed himself against cover. "I've got one-" He peeked over his cover to see a metallic hand grasp a section of an opposite roof and tear off the shingles. "In the street directly below me. He's making his way toward the mountain peak."

"Got it, good work. I'm on my way."

Just then, the Con's upper body came into full view, revealing a gray-black Cybertronian who looked, for the most part, like a protoform, but bore traces of vehicle parts corresponding to a black Chevrolet Suburban. And it was speaking in Cybertronian. Caden's eyes widened. _Wait, if it doesn't know I'm here, who the hell would it be speaking to? _Sounds of movement came from behind him, and he snapped around to see what he was hoping to goodness wasn't there.

"Pretenders!" he yelled into his comm. as he opened fire with his Daggertail, nailing the first of said enemy contacts in the head and arm. The magnetic accelerator made short work of the Pretender's relatively weak armor, and he moved from cover to avoid the Decepticon, who had just taken notice of both the gunfire and his shout. Caden heard more angry shouting in Cybertronian, and he correctly assumed the Con was sending more Pretenders his way. Leaping to a shingled roof, Drake broke off at a sprint, dodging incoming fire and intermittently ducking behind cover to break their line of sight. One came around his corner at point-blank range and he shoved his Cybertanium knife into its neck underhandedly, then pulled it sideways, tearing out its neck servos and eliminating it. Another was backing it up, and Caden drew his signed Sig Sauer, double-tapping it through the chest and perforating its power source.

"Hawk, what's the status on the Con?" For a moment, there were no sounds save the click and shuffle of his reloading.

"Still...kicking!" Hawk yelled between grunts, clearly in a furious fight.

"Acknowledged. I'm on my way." Caden broke off toward his position at a sprint, barely seeing the threat on his right before dropping into a slide, falling off the second-story roof to land in the neglected street below with a roll. Using his eidetic memory and impeccable sense of direction, he was able to lose the Pretenders in pursuit long enough to back up his partner.

A ten-round automatic burst knocked off a section of the Decepticon's armor, causing him to roar in pain and rage, attempting to get a clear shot against the new combatant. Hawk ended that notion quickly when he slashed his right-hand blade through the servo keeping the Con's gun mounted to his arm, effectively disarming him while plunging his left-hand sword into his lower chest. The Combaticon hissed sharply at him before driving the back of its head into the front of Hawk's, stunning him long enough to lunge forward off the Cybertanium blade, transform into its black Chevy SUV mode, and drive down a narrow brick street.

"Hawk!" Caden yelled, and his partner responded instantly, picking him up gingerly and transforming, landing Caden in the passenger seat. They started to gain on the target within mere seconds between the superior speed and handling of Hawk's alternate form and his near-suicidal driving. "Keep it steady!" Leaning out the now-open passenger window, Caden aimed for the Con's rear wheels, as he did the day he first met the Autobots, and fired two well-placed MA shots that ruptured the rubber-like disc and sent the Chevy tailspinning into a half-roofless house. Hawk's Lambo form shifted subtly, but Caden knew what that meant: Stealth Force, an enhanced, weaponized version of the Bot's vehicle mode that allowed for massive offensive potential while mobile.

Before the Autobot could nail the Con, several Pretenders sent a flurry of automatic rounds into his ceiling from nearby rooftops, eliciting a sharp curse in Cybertronian and a break-off from his previous aggressive pattern in favor of defensive driving. His wheels shifted directly sideways, and Caden found his stomach churning at the sudden turn, except when he looked, the car wasn't turning so much as gliding. Hawk did an about-face and angled his weapons upward, firing off his deployed Neutron SMGs at the Pretenders and taking two of them out before forcing the rest to take cover. By this time, the Combaticon had started to recover, and Caden banged on Hawk's door to let him know, but the Bot either didn't understand the reason for his action or ignored it.

_Hardheaded, one-track…_ Drake grit his teeth and lowered the window further before unbelting himself and using what limited leverage he had to jump out the window, landing awkwardly. Raising his rifle, he fired on the Con, having snapped a fresh mag into it during their brief chase. The bullets bounced off and dented its armor, causing more enraged growls and other sounds of pain as the Decepticon warrior was pounded by what it no doubt considered a being beneath its notice, much less lethal attention. One fortunate round went through its left eye, knocking it lifeless and limp as the Con seethed and drew another weapon, firing wildly, shots missing wide.

Caden ran towards it for two steps before he heard a familiar transformation from behind and felt himself being picked up by an equally familiar hand and placed on a nearby rooftop. When the spy checked on the number of Pretenders on the opposite roof, all he found was a pile of charred, steaming metal corpses. Drake found he could only stare at his robotic partner as he picked the Con apart piece by piece, effectively dissecting it before piercing its spark. After Hawk made sure it was dead, he lifted a finger to his ear and activated his comm. system.

"Lennox, our target's down, along with a bunch of unexpected backup."

"Solid copy," the major responded, "we're wrappin' up here too."

"Did Sideswipe make a mess of things," Hawk asked with a smirk on his face.

A sigh came from the other end. "Surprisingly, no. The Twins did."

Hawk winced involuntarily, suddenly and immeasurably grateful he didn't have to have more than brief contact with them at any given time. "Roger that. Try, try very hard not to put any dings in them that they haven't already. We're on our way." With that, he turned to Caden, who had approached him on a closer rooftop, practically meeting him eye-to-eye.

The boy's arms were crossed, eyes narrowed dangerously, and his expression was one that left little interpretation. He was pissed. When the Bot's mouth opened to ask what was wrong, Caden cut him off.

"You. Don't. Trust me."

…

6 hours later, 2:08 PM EST

Sudley, VA

The ride back to the States was tense and silent, Hawk having given up on earning a deeper explanation as to what his partner meant. Not even halfway through the flight, he threw his hands up, figuratively speaking, since he was in car mode, and just stopped trying. Now, he was driving the silent, brooding spy to his house in Sudley, more of a small mansion really, a location that he had seen from the outside many times since the start of Caden's "consultation." When he began to pull into the side road that led there, he chanced another try.

"Caden, what did you mean when you said I didn't trust you?" Once again, Hawk prepared himself to receive the silent treatment yet again, but instead got a small huff and a derisive snarl. It was, at the very least, a different reaction.

"For such an advanced being," Caden started, "and a spy to boot, you're awfully slow to catch on." Internally, Hawk's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at this. Still seeing that his "partner" didn't get the point, the boy rolled his eyes. "You really wanna know? Fine. You don't trust me. After three months of being partners, you don't trust me to take care of myself. I had that Con dead to rights, but you stepped in and took the kill."

Hawk deployed his holoform in the driver's seat, who gaped at the human incredulously. "You're pissed at me...because I 'kill-stole'? Really?"

Caden huffed again and rolled his eyes, exasperated rather than angry. "Yeah, you're missing the point." He drew in a deep breath and sighed. "The fact that you took out the Con is nothing to me, but the fact that you put me on a roof before you did is everything. You needlessly took me out of harm's way."

"Needlessly? You're my charge, and I'm your guardian."

"And my partner."

"I'm honor-bound to keep you safe."

"Within _reason_," the human hissed out between clenched teeth. "Like I once told a dear friend of mine, I'm used to taking care of myself, and I don't need to be coddled."

"Taking care of yourself? Maybe against humans, but Cybertronians?"

Caden exhaled a long sigh and laid his hand on his forehead, hearing his voiced fears reflected in what Hawk just said. True, he was good, one might say the best in the world. But, as the Bots and soldiers kept reminding him, he was only human. With another sigh, Drake relented and sunk against his seat, tension leaking out of him. "I'm sorry. You're right, I...I'm sorry." He felt a gentle pat on his shoulder and looked over to see a knowing expression on Hawk's face.

"You're used to being a _guardian_, not the guarded. I understand." The Bot smiled slightly, the remaining tension and anxiety flowing out of his partner. He could tell Caden wasn't one to make himself vulnerable very often, not even to those he called friends, so this rare moment of softness was indeed a rarity. For such a fragile being, Hawk had to admit, over the last three months, Caden Drake had shown himself to be surprisingly resilient, both physically and mentally. He seemed to pass both off as the product of his Achilles enhancements, but the Bot had a hard time believing it was all just his genetics. After all, Optimus Prime, the last of his kind and a peerless fighter, was spawned a peaceful bot, a librarian, for Primus' sake!

Despite the fact that he knew Caden was fragile physically, Hawk also knew that he wouldn't put up with being treated as such, and had been trying to find the proper balance between guardian and partner since the moment he joined NEST in a full combat capacity. If today's operation had been any indication, he still had a long way to go. _Although,_ the Autobot thought resignedly, _I'd rather have his pride and ego come to harm than his body. _In another ten seconds, they were in the driveway of his three-story, 5,000 square foot house and pulling into his secure garage. Hawk's holoform hesitated to step out of the vehicle, as all he'd done in the aftermath of previous operations was drop off his charge-slash-partner and leave to monitor at a safe distance, but as Caden stepped out the door, he thumbed a button on the interior wall of the garage and closed the exit door.

Hawk's eyebrows went up and his holoform stared at Caden in question, who stared back with a confused, almost amused expression.

"Well," he asked the Bot, "you coming?"

Hawk opened his mouth for a snarky reply, but found he had no way to counter it. _I've never even seen the inside of his place before. Wonder what changed today, especially in the wake of that...botched action._ Slowly but surely, he opened his driver-side door and stepped out, form flickering as his mind wandered briefly before solidifying completely again. Caden waved him through the garage door and into one of the most immaculate houses he'd ever seen the inside of, though that hadn't been many. The halls seemed to scream at him in ivory colors, Corinthian columns by the front door on his left, on the inside and out, the bright walls and supports a stark contrast from the dark mahogany wood of the floor. From the instant he entered the house, Hawk was very aware that contrast figured very heavily into the colors and physical design of the dwelling's interior.

As they strode into an atrium that linked the front door, garage, living room, and staircase to the upper levels, Hawk noticed a slight bit of tension in the house's owner and looked over to see his smiling, almost beaming expression. His eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion over the cause of the tension until Caden spoke.

"So...you like it?"

Startled out of his thoughts, Hawk took a quick glance around the large, open room, one glance all he needed to commit every detail to memory. "Absolutely," he said with a large smile. "Even on Cybertron, there was nothing quite like this, even in the early days. It's...beautiful." His holographic optics scanned around the house slowly, as if to take an even closer look than before, to attempt to appreciate all the minute details in this building.

"I do my own interior decorating."

Hawk's eyebrows shot up and he stared right at the speaker in disbelief.

"Now, before you accuse me of working myself to death, I didn't do..._everything_, at least as far as the work goes. Just the designs. I drew up a scale model of the entire building before I had it commissioned for construction."

"You drew...all this? Wait, did you say, commissioned?"

Caden gave him a smug smirk and nodded. "Yep. Contrary to the vibe I give off, I'm part of what you might call the 'one-percent.'" Allowing Hawk a moment or two to look up the term online, he grinned as the Bot's optics widened even further. "I'm actually worth billions, thanks to my parents. But...I thought you already knew that."

"I...I did. I guess...I guess I didn't make the connection when you said they stole billions of dollars from the Keystone. Didn't think to ask if it was yours now."

"That's the way human inheritances usually go. If the parents die and their child doesn't, everything they owned automatically goes to them, unless otherwise specified."

"Huh," was all Hawk could say as he took in the fact that before one cornerstone or brick had been placed, Caden had seen all of this in his head and translated it into a solid structure. _The creativity, the colors...it's incredible...artistic, even. _He looked at Caden, who was himself becoming lost in the grandeur of the building. Hawk's systems flashed realization at the train of thought he'd just had. _That's because he_ is_ an artist, on the battlefield or off. _Again, he wasn't sure that all, or even most of that, was due to his Achilles enhancements. Finally, he broke the long, awed silence. "So, does this mean we're 'good'?"

Caden smirked and stared at the ground for a few seconds, hands in his pockets as he nodded slightly. "Yeah, we're good. If you wanna tour the house, I'm more than willing to show you around."

Hawk pressed his lips together thoughtfully before shaking his head slightly. "I don't feel I'm privy to that kind of closeness just yet. Trust and friendship have to be earned, and frankly, I feel like lately I've been doing, as you humans would say, a 'piss-poor' job of it."

Caden arched an eyebrow. "Well, considering you've been around humans much less than the other Autobots, with the exception of Que, of course, I'd say you're tryin' your best." A sly grin came to his features. "Besides, the whole 'you being my car' thing helps."

"Funny," Hawk said with a slight chuckle, "never thought you were that shallow."

Caden's smile faded. "I'm not." An awkward silence passed between them before Caden continued. "Well, if you're not gonna have me take you around, I'm gonna go shower, maybe put some time in the workshop."

"Don't forget to take care of your weapons," Hawk scolded.

Caden rolled his eyes tiredly. "Yes, _mother_. You do realize that I've never neglected a weapon in my life?"

"No offense, but most of you fleshies have the attention span of a glitch mouse and the memory of a scraplet."

Caden's eyes went wide in confusion. "Not _exactly _sure what that meant, but I get your drift." He saw Hawk flash confusion at the phrase and had to resist the urge to roll his eyes again, instead striding toward and up the stairs as he changed the subject. "I'll be by my phone if you need to contact me. If you want to get out of my garage, just press the up arrow on the control you saw me use. Remember to close it from the outside when you're done."

"Uh, thanks." Guessing it was about the right time for him to leave, Hawk's holoform vanished and reappeared in the garage, thumbing the retract button on the control Caden mentioned. His Lambo form backed out and stopped as his holoform hit the close, then hit the gas, speeding him 25 mph backward and causing him to gain enough momentum to execute an almost instant 180, then shift gears and drive away. He had been watching guard, effectively staking out the house and surrounding area for the last three months from an abandoned, overgrown barnyard, keeping his car form hidden inside the barn itself while his holoform watched the road. Today was no different, or at least it didn't seem to be, but he could feel something wrong, in his gut. There was no logic to it, no rational reasoning, Hawk just felt eerily and unexplainably anxious and on edge.

Something was coming. He just knew it.

…

Four hours later, 6:04 PM EST

Sudley, VA

He _hated _this planet. With a passion that was rivaled only by his hatred for anything related to the Autobots. The seasons, the weather, the population, everything about this place irked him to no end. Not even the high quality of vehicles on this world could redeem it in his optics, though he had never put much stock in that sort of thing. That kind of vanity was reserved for Knockout. He grit his teeth internally, his car form going well over the human speed limit as his frustration and anger rose. He would obey Lord Megatron without question, but his tolerance in the face of duty had its limits. _The sooner I get this human, the better. _As he rounded another corner, he found himself on a well-paved side road through a heavily forested area.

He snarled internally at the overgrown nature of his surroundings, loathing every second he had to spend here. _Even human cities are better than this chaos. Chaos… _His insides twisted into a cruel smile at the thought. He had spent the last three months tracking the human's transactions, movements, sightings, even. It had been a far more difficult task than he had ever expected to track a man who, according to virtually every database on the planet, didn't exist. The human "intelligence" agencies on this planet had files on him barely a few pages thick. Though he loathed and hated the entirety of their race, the Con had to admit that his target was...special among his kind...but it mattered not. Any minute now, the human would be in his grasp and on his way to Megatron. Afterward, well, let's just say this particular Cybertronian was hoping that the human would resist whatever Megatron had planned. He was looking forward to inflicting pain and not just death.

He approached an intersection and saw a black-haired man standing at the corner, leaning against a fence and staring at him very intently, trying to gaze beyond his tinted windshield. His engine snorted in contempt as he rounded the bend and sped up again, leaving him in the dust. He didn't notice just how intense that gaze had become, or the way the human's eyes went wide when he snorted at him, the look of realization as he realized exactly who and what the car was.

…

_No, _Hawk thought, his holoform shaking his head in denial. _No, no, no. There's no way he's still alive. _But as much as he tried to think of all the rational reasons why what he had just seen and heard was impossible, he knew that silver Audi, the way it acted like it owned the road and...snorted at him. Actually snorted. Belatedly, he began to accept the truth, with only one word on his mind. _Sideways…_ His holoform vanished and engine roared to life as he collected his thoughts and focused on catching up to his presumed-dead nemesis.

…

Sideways scowled at his scanners, having picked up a sudden spike in energon readings in his immediate vicinity, and rightly assumed that the Autobots had discovered his presence. Opening a channel to Soundwave, he asked to be relayed to Megatron and was rewarded with a single word from the Decepticon leader.

"Speak."

"My lord, I am closing in on the human, but the Autobots have been alerted to my presence somehow. I will be pursued even if I successfully retrieve the human."

"I anticipated as much, Sideways. Focus on taking the human and returning to base. Leave the details of your escape to me."

Scowling again, he suppressed the urge to show it over comms. "Yes, Lord Megatron." Closing the link, he sped up slightly, rapidly approaching the three-story human dwelling and pulling over behind a set of bushes. He activated his holoform and strode toward the house silently, the deepening shadows masking his approach somewhat. As Sideways hacked the building's security system, a familiar thrill of excitement rushed through him as he was, once again, the hunter.

…

Caden laid down his welding iron and took off his mask, grabbing a nearby towel to wipe the sweat off his face. Before he could reach for a bottle of water, his eyes noticed the light of a nearby smoke detector stop blinking and froze. Narrowing his eyes, he strode over to a computer panel on his second-floor workshop's wall, touching a few functions on the panel before realizing that all his security cameras and systems were down. _Holy...that shouldn't even be possible. Whoever hacked my systems is a genius._ Reaching over to his folded jacket, he belted on his gun and knife holster and drew his trademark Sig Sauer, flipping the safety off while walking to the stairwell, keeping behind the cover of the hallway wall before peeking out slightly. Seeing the door ajar sent a slight jolt through his system.

_Who could possibly know where I live and be stupid enough to break in?_ He moved toward the stairs, gun raised, and cleared the atrium before silently descending the stairs. Sudden movement in his peripheral vision drew his eyes and gun before the latter was yanked out of his hand and he was pulled off the stairs from the rail. He hit the ground hard, but not hard enough to keep him down, as he rolled to the side almost instantly, escaping the grasping hands of his assailant. As he got to his feet, he got a good look at the attacker: five-ten, wiry but defined, with dirty blonde hair, dark eyes, and a cruel smirk on his face. He charged at Drake, but the spy dodged sideways, driving a short uppercut into his lower ribs. To his surprise, his opponent didn't stagger, grunt, or respond at all. Hell, his body didn't even give.

What was worse, the attacker drove an elbow into the side of his head that made all of the above happen to him. A few more blows from the invader let Caden know that whatever he was fighting, it wasn't human. He withdrew and attempted to run for his weapon when he felt an arm around his neck, gripping him tightly. As his body prepared itself for the darkness, he remembered the Cybertanium knife at his hip and drew it, thrusting it deep into the enemy's hip. To his relief, the grip around his neck slackened and the man drew back in pain, or at least what he thought was pain. Caden dove for his gun and rolled over to face upward, pointing the weapon right between his eyes and squeezing the trigger. The round went right through him...it, but then the 'man' did something he genuinely wasn't expecting.

He vanished. Right into thin air. The knife dropped to the floor, no longer anchored to anything, and clattered against the wood with a metallic clang. Drake got to his feet and bent over to pick it up, looking at it and then the air where his opponent had just been standing, apprehension sinking in as his mind raced to figure out the answer to this mystery. Then his eyes widened and he slid the knife back into its sheath, yanking his phone out of his pocket and dialing his guardian's number.

"Hawk," he said the moment he heard the ringing stop, "Cons!" That was all he was able to get out before a gigantic metallic hand reached through the open door and picked him up roughly, yanking him out the door and bringing him face-to-face with a transformed silver Audi and a pair of blazing red optics. _Oh no, oh_ hell_ no!_

Before he could even think about resisting, he felt the impact of his head against one of his columns and dimly felt his hand slip his phone into his pocket before blacking out.

…

_Fallen's black spark!_ Hawk thought as he saw Sideways transform and tuck Caden into his backseat, slipping a tight seatbelt over his limp body. He furiously scanned the Decepticon, and recycled his energon in relief when he found strong lifesigns on his human charge. He briefly contemplated all-out assaulting the Con, but instantly decided against it, knowing the extent of his cruelty and that he would annihilate the human if he thought it would cause the former Con pain. He grit his teeth internally and went over his limited options, deciding to tell Optimus as he watched them drive away.

"Optimus," he said over his comms. "Prime, come in."

A burst of static came over the connection before the Bot answered in his familiar regal voice. "Hawk, I'm receiving."

"Caden's been kidnapped." Hawk waited a moment before continuing. "Prime, it's...Sideways. He's alive." Another pause.

"This is grave news. We assumed he had perished in Shanghai, but if he is indeed alive...this could mean only one thing."

"Megatron's got something planned. He wouldn't deploy his greatest assassin otherwise."

"I agree. Do you have a fix on them?"

"Affirmative. I had to drop back to a safe distance. I have no idea what Megatron wants him for, so Sideways may have orders to kill him if we intervene. We'll have to play this just right."

"I agree. Keep your distance, but do not lose track of them."

"Couldn't if I wanted to. Caden had the sense to keep his phone on him, the one that's hard-coded for our comm. channels. Brilliant!"

"Excellent. I'm scrambling reinforcements as we speak. Stay on them!"

"Done." As Hawk kept tailing his former rival, he prayed to Primus, to the Allspark, to any higher being that Caden be kept alive until the other Autobots arrived to save him...and tried desperately to ignore the uncomfortably rapid thrumming of his spark.

…

NEST headquarters

Washington, D.C.

"Ironhide, let's move!" Lennox watched as the black bot transformed down and waited for him to finish before getting in and hearing the Topkick screeching off to join Optimus, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Chromia. Ratchet was already en-route from an unexpected energon mine in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Twins were peeling off from their usual debauchery to intercept. In no time at all, the NEST personnel had cleared out the extensive highway traffic and allowed the Autobots to speed toward their target at over three times the normal speed limit without incident. "What do we know," he asked the Autobot guardian.

"Caden Drake has been abducted," Ironhide responded in his usual gruff voice. "The Con that took him is currently fleeing to destinations unknown. The logical explanation is that Megatron would like to kill him personally, so that's where he's being taken."

"Megatron? What interest could he possibly have in one human?"

"Is that not the question we asked four months ago?"

"It's also one we have yet to answer."

Ironhide had no answer to that except to accelerate more, pushing his vehicle form to the limit as they all struggled to intercept the Decepticon kidnapper.

"Ironhide, Chromia."

"Here, Optimus," the sparkmated Bots replied in unison.

"It is entirely possible that Sideways has backup in hiding. If Megatron sent him to retrieve Caden, he will not leave his 'investment' unguarded."

"Understood, Prime," Ironhide acknowledged. "All units, expect heavy resistance."

"I hope to Primus it does not come to that, but his mercies have been somewhat lacking lately. Prime out."

They drove on in silence and tension, waiting until either they were in range or Hawk gave them another report.

…

Sudley, VA

Outskirts

_Frickin'-a._ Caden rolled his eyes in their closed sockets rather painfully, willing the throbbing in the back of his head to stop before experimentally opening them. The light wouldn't have been so bright and painful if A: he hadn't just suffered a blow to the back of the head, and B: the sun weren't setting, and right in front of him. His eyelids snapped shut and allowed the light leaking through them to adjust his abnormally sensitive eyes to the brightness. A few seconds later, he opened them again and saw that, as he suspected, he was strapped tightly to the center seat of a silver Audi. _With no one in the driver's seat. _Letting out a long sigh, he considered the reasons why Sideways could still be alive after literally being cut in half, but stopped when he realized it didn't matter. What mattered was what he was doing kidnapping a human.

"So," he said suddenly, breaking the deafening silence in the supposedly posh car. "You're Sideways."

A growl came from the speakers before he heard a response. "And you're nothing...except awake and fleshy and irritating."

Caden mock winced. "Ouch, that hurts my feelings, 'Ways, it really does."

A mocking snort came from the radio. "See if I care, insect."

A few more silent moments passed before Caden became his usual direct self. "So, I've been wondering for the past few months, what the hell do you want me for?" Silence. "Or maybe I should ask, what does Megatron want me for? Seems a waste to sic his 'left hand' on a mere 'insect,' doesn't it?"

"For once, I agree with a human, but Megatron's word is law, his command absolute. Failure means death."

Caden smirked. "Is that what he told you when he 'commanded' you to take out Crow?" He could have sworn he felt the car shudder.

"Who told you that," Sideways hissed out.

"A little bird," Caden said, his surprisingly smug smirk widening, "or...should I say, a Hawk." Another shudder, slightly more powerful, but enough that Drake could feel it.

"Do not. Ever. Mention. That. Name."

"Why not? Is it because you had to stab him in the back to win? Shoot him from a mile away? Hell, even Sideswipe friggin' cut you in half without a fight. In _half_! Hawk was always your better, and you know it, so you prey on those weaker than yourself so you can feel more powerful, is that it? You're a weakling, and a coward with a few cheap tricks."

A diagonal seatbelt snaked itself around his neck, cutting off his air as it tightened painfully. He gasped and sputtered for breath as Sideways responded to his accusations. "You are flesh. I could snap your neck right now." To accent this point, the belt tightened harder. "And you would speak to me of weakness?" The belt released him harshly, and he gulped in air, feeling the heat of pooled blood start to fade as oxygen circulated through his system.

Caden's smirk vanished at his tone and actions, but internally, he was grinning confidently. He knew he was getting to the Con, exciting his darker emotions, making him unconsciously vulnerable. No matter who it was, human or Cybertronian, sentients tended to spit out random bits of truth when they were angry, and right now, he needed one truth in particular.

"Physical weakness is one thing," Drake choked out, still getting his bearings, "but the longer I live, the more I realize that it matters so much less than weaknesses of the mind and heart. Without the intellect to come up with a plan and the heart, the determination, the courage to follow through, physical strength is useless."

"I'm sorry," Sideways scoffed, "you seem to think I'm someone who gives a frag."

Caden arched an eyebrow. _A frag. Now there's an idea… _Surreptitiously patting his pockets, he listened to Sideways rant on about the weakness of 'fleshies' and the absolute will of 'Lord Megatron.' _Yeah yeah, keep blabbing the manifesto. Just a matter of time before I find a way to kick your ass. _When the spy's hand went to his belt, he found something that both exhilarated and shocked him. His Sig and knife were sitting pretty, right where he preferred to keep them. Caden's eyes narrowed to slits. _Is he stupid or just doesn't think either of these can do anything to him?_ Either way, he meant to capitalize on the unexpected turn.

"Yeah yeah," he said, interrupting the ranting Con, "tell me something I don't know. Like what Megatron has planned for me. You mentioned I was a gigantic waste of resources." He noticed belatedly that as he spoke, the temperature in the car had gotten uncomfortably high, and he knew he had thoroughly pissed him off by interrupting.

"I don't know!" Sideways yelled at a painful volume, causing his human occupant to realize that the interruption itself hadn't caused anger as much as the question and his inability to answer it. "All I know is, I have orders to take you in alive, and I'm beginning to overlook their validity."

Caden clammed up at the thinly veiled threat and showed Sideways an expression of terror, an emotion starkly opposite to his actual curiosity and amusement. _Not even Sideways, his left hand, knows. _He realized that whatever Megatron had planned for him, it required absolute secrecy, and that thought alone almost made his terrified expression real. In that moment, all he knew was that there was only one remotely favorable option left to him: escape. Looking around the car, he noticed that the door's locking system wasn't engaged, as he expected that the seatbelt would be enough to keep Caden in his seat._ I'll have to be fast._

Caden's hand went for his knife and drew it in less than a sixteenth of a second, slashing the belt around his waist before his free hand hit the opening lever on the door.

…

Thirty seconds earlier

Hawk was tapped into Caden's cell phone, listening in on their conversation, recycling his energon at the sound of his partner's voice and freezing whenever he made Sideways even remotely angry. After the Con threatened him again, he knew the situation was bound to degenerate fast, especially if Drake kept on provoking him. Much to his relief, the boy stayed quiet and still. A thought ran through the Bot's head, and for a moment, he actually considered letting Sideways get away with him. After all, he had a tap on Caden's phone, and if Sideways was going back to Megatron… _Primus almighty!_ Optimus was in tow with almost all the other Autobots and a veritable army of NEST soldiers. If and when they caught up, they could corner the Decepticon leader and offline him for good. They could end the war, today. Hawk actually smiled when he looked at the phone's camera feed and saw the human still not moving. _That's it, partner, just take it easy. We've got it from-oh slag!_

Caden had just moved in a big way, and from the feed coming from his phone, Sideways was none too happy. A seatbelt was trying to wrap itself around the boy's neck, but he slashed his Cybertanium knife through it before opening his left-side back door fully and leaning half his body out. Hawk's optics went wide. _Oh, no. Please tell me you're not going to jump, cause not even_ I'm_ that fast. _His caution was well-merited, as Sideways had increased his speed from an easy cruising velocity of just over 40 mph to around 110. Even barrel-rolling with the impact _with_ his Achilles genetics, he didn't stand a chance of surviving. One move later, and he realized Caden knew this.

The knife plunged into Sideways' back wheel, rupturing it and causing the entire car to buckle and swerve. Thankfully, there were no cars on this back road, but the Con and his human occupant were driving dangerously close to a cliff. Hawk's spark did a flip when Caden leapt from the vehicle, but when he checked the boy's speed from his phone, he saw that it was well in the survivable range even for a normal human. The moment he rolled to a stop, Drake scrambled to his feet and sprinted, ignoring his bruises and injuries in a last-ditch attempt to escape Sideways. _Well, there goes the tail idea. _Even if Sideways managed to recapture Caden, he would be suspicious that with the Autobots nearby, he could escape without a fight, or at the least a chase.  
Gritting his teeth, Hawk toyed with the idea of staging such an event, but when Caden's phone camera got a transformed Sideways in its view, and he saw the sheer hatred in the Con's optics, he knew the boy wouldn't last that long. Gunning his engine, he rushed to close the five-mile gap and stop Sideways from killing his partner.

…

"Optimus! Optimus, do you read?!"

"Loud and clear," the leader responded. "What's your status?"

"In active pursuit, sir! Caden just did something really stupid, like, say, _breaking out of Sideways_, and he's gonna get himself killed!"

Optimus' spark skipped a beat at the sound of Hawk's voice. He actually sounded...panicked. He never panicked. "Understood. Engage at your discretion." Closing the channel, he opened another one to the NEST soldiers and Autobots. "All units, the Consultant has just escaped from Decepticon custody and is under attack. You are all authorized to use lethal force and engage any and all threats on sight."

"Satellite scans of the area show minimal civilian presence," Lennox added. "We're cleared hot."

"Autobots, maximum overdrive!" Bursts of ignited nitrous oxide came from the exhaust pipes off all the Autobots present as they pushed the limits of just how fast they could go. The Prime checked his GPS and saw that there was a large, deep valley, more of a hole really, dead ahead. Hawk and Caden were on the other side of it and getting closer, according to his transponder, and the NEST convoy would have to go off-road to reach it quickly. "On me!" Prime's wheels pointed sharply sideways as he slammed on the brakes, turning off the road and plowing through a row of bushes in the relatively level area. Trees were scarce on this side of the valley, so they could essentially beeline it to their target.

Or they should have been able to.

Without warning, fanfare, or prelude, an explosion hit one of the NEST trucks and capsized it. The Bots' attention turned skyward, and they saw the source of the attack. A steel-gray Cybertronian jet flew overhead, intimidating, but a different model from the one they were all used to seeing. Optimus' optics went wide in realization. _No...it can't be._ When the jet transformed and landed in the path of the convoy, spraying concussive explosives in a wide arc and forcing them to stop, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Ironhide," Optimus said, voice rising in intensity, "take Chromia, Bumblebee, and Major Lennox around this ambush. Get to Caden and save him at all costs!"

"On it, Prime!" Ironhide shouted as he and his sparkmate kicked up more dust and sped away from the brewing battle, Bee in tow.

Optimus and most of the other remaining Bots, now including the Twins, transformed to their bipedal modes, several weaponized NEST jeeps flanking them in a protective formation. The Prime's battle mask snapped over his features as he drew his right ion blaster from his back, his left hand retracting to deploy an energon sword as he stared into the dust kicked up by the explosions.

"Shockwave," he said darkly, pointing his blaster at the steel-gray Con's silhouette. When the dust finally cleared, he could see the focus of his attention was not alone, several other Combaticons and Seekers having joined him on the ground. A single evil, red eye stared back at the Prime, and his vertical mandibles contorted into a sideways, disturbing version of what one might consider a smile.

"Optimus Prime," he hissed out, saying nothing else. A gigantic cannon sat on his right arm, a chain of ammo linking to his back to allow for rapid fire and reloading, and a pointed shield sat on his left, the end of it sharp and hard enough to pierce even the toughest armor. Neither side made a move for several seconds, and everyone waited with bated breath, knowing they were all on a hair trigger. As expected, the Cons made the first move.

Shockwave pointed one thick claw at the Autobots, and all of his backup fired at once, forcing them to rush for what limited cover they could get as they returned fire. The Decepticon commander opened fire on Optimus himself a second later, sending concussive rounds in his direction. One nicked the large Bot in the shoulder, and he lost his balance briefly before executing a combat roll and retracting his sword in favor of his second blaster. They exchanged fire chaotically as Ironhide and the others raced to stop Sideways, barely taking the time or processing power to notice that several Combaticons broke off from the main group to follow.

…

Hawk skidded around a tight turn, flooring the accelerator in his mad dash to stop Sideways when he saw Caden's camera feed and stared at it in shock. _Is he glitched?! _Drake was almost within Sideways' grasp when the kid leapt off the side of the cliff and fell ten feet, driving the knife into the cliff wall with both hands to slow his fall. He could hear the yells of strain and pain over the link as he held the knife in, slowing his four-hundred-foot fall into the valley, evidently a quarry. His feet hit the ground, and other than a slight grunt, Caden showed no signs of injury.

The Bot recycled his energon in relief until the feed panned again, and he saw Sideways following closely, leaping half the distance unharmed before driving his clawed hand into the cliffside to slow himself down. By the time he reached the bottom, Caden had already sprinted halfway toward a warehouse used for collecting large-cut rocks. _At least he might have a chance in there. _Hawk booked it toward the cliffside, still over two minutes out, and desperately hoped his previous hesitation wouldn't cause the human his life.

…

Caden was breathing heavily by the time he reached the warehouse, which was saying something. His adrenaline was pumping his blood faster, and his fear was driving his flurried steps, a feeling that he didn't experience often. He was actually running for his life. Caden snarled at that fact. _I really hoped never to be doing that again. _Shoving his pride away, Drake entered the building and shoved it closed behind him, breaking off in a sprint to get to the top level and an administrative booth. He ducked inside and crouched down, pressing his back against a wall, body out of view from anywhere Sideways might break in. As if in answer to his thoughts, he heard a loud clang of metal against metal as the sheet metal wall of the warehouse was torn open.

Loud metal steps were heard getting closer and closer to him, and he knew it was only a matter of time before the Con found his hiding place. Thinking hard and fast, he realized where he was: the administrative booth. He leapt to his feet, staying low to avoid being seen, and made his way to a schematic of the building. A confident smirk came to his lips at what he saw, and he silently made his way onto one of the upper catwalks, timing his movements with Sideways' field of vision to avoid detection until he reached the controls for the warehouse's machines. A conveyor belt activated on the far side of the building, and Sideways moved to investigate, his arm plating opening to unveil a 12.7 mm minigun.

As he neared the source of the disturbance, Sideways lurched backward at the sound of new movement, yet another belt coming online. His head swiveled at the various machines that seemed to activate on their own, and his optics narrowed in suspicion, trying to trace the movement to its cause. As he stalked the building, Sideways stepped under a slowly moving crane holding a ton-worth of rocks. The crane released its payload, and the Con's armor was dented under the sudden weight. Shoving the rocks away and snarling, he started scattering automatic rounds in every direction, hoping one of the rounds would hit his tormentor.

As it was, a few came close. Dangerously close. Gritting his teeth, Caden activated another crane and caused Sideways to duck in response only to be knocked over when the spy reversed the machine's path. Snarling and growling, the Con's optics finally alighted on Drake's position, and the kid's eyes went wide in panic for an instant before instincts and years of training sent him running for the end of the catwalk and a second-story window. Bullets bounced around him, missing by mere inches as he crashed through the glass, falling twelve feet to land with a roll and keep running, this time toward an inactive bulldozer. Praying for a miracle, Caden was pleasantly surprised to find the keys still in the ignition.

_Guess the company doesn't expect anyone to get very far stealing a vehicle this slow._ Caden keyed the demolition and excavation vehicle on and pushed the engine and hydraulics, turning to face a furious Sideways. Gunning the engine, he charged the Con at maximum speed and leaned over in his seat, ducking down to avoid a salvo of automatic fire. Ten feet away from his target, Caden hit the lever to lower the 'dozer's arm and caused the metal teeth to slam directly into Sideways' chest. Hearing the Con's grunts of pain and frustration, Caden returned to a normal seating position and raised the arm, grinding the teeth further into his chassis as the machine tried to lift the Con. Eventually, Sideways was pinned against the side of the warehouse, and Caden pulling away with the 'dozer, slamming into him again and again until his opponent shoved his left hand down and activated his buzz saw hand, cutting at the metal arm until a blade hit the hydraulic line and caused it to sag.

_Uh-oh._

Sideways pushed back on the vehicle and plunged a hand into its front, crushing the engine before reaching toward the cab and gripping the safety bars that were all that stood between him and his human target. Prying them apart, the Con snarled and growled, then recoiled when Caden laid into his face with a half-dozen rounds of magnetically accelerated shots from his pistol. Clambering out of the 'dozer, the human made it as far as thirty feet before Sideways grabbed him and squeezed his body, causing him to drop the gun. In a last-ditch effort to escape, the boy drew the Cybertanium knife and plunged it into his hand before a quick and painful flick of the Con's wrist sent the blade flying into the dust.

Releasing the human, Sideways drew his trademark Nucleon rifle and leveled it at the human, watching as his eyes widened in fear, then narrowed in resignation.

_If I'm going out, I'm doin' it with eyes wide open._

Caden stared into the blazing red optics of his killer as he watched his right fist and index clench in a firing motion.

…

"No!" Hawk roared as he slammed into his nemesis, making his shot go wide, over twelve feet away, putting a nicely-sized crater in the quarry's rock floor, but not much else. A Cybertanium blade snapped from its arm sheath as he plunged it between Sideways' shoulder plates. "Caden," he shouted, turning to his charge, "run! The others are looking for you. Go!" He watched the human eye him and Sideways for a moment, carefully, almost doubtfully. "I got this," Hawk hissed out, a confident smirk on his face as he successfully restrained the Con.

Caden nodded and broke off toward a company vehicle at a sprint, then duck inside to hotwire it.

"It's you and me again, _old friend_," Hawk hissed out, turning his focus to the glaring Cybertronian struggling in his grasp. With a snarl of contempt, the Bot shifted his weight backward and threw the Con to the ground, drawing his right pistol, left arm still bearing one of his blades as they faced off.

"Get slagged, _Crow_," Sideways responded with an equivalent snarl.

Hawk narrowed his optics at him. "Sorry, but, didn't you already try that?" Before Sideways could answer, he charged the Con and cut another gash into his armor, firing off two glancing shots with his pistol before being disarmed of it and drop-kicked backward. Recovering with a roll, he entered the fray again, barely glancing to the side at the sound of an engine starting up and the corresponding car driving away. Suddenly feeling at ease in the knowledge that his partner was relatively safe again, he focused on the battle with Sideways with renewed vigor-and anger, finally allowing his rage over Caden's abduction to boil his energon and give him the strength and ferocity he knew all too well.

…

"Caden!" Ironhide shouted at seeing the human in the nondescript car, doing a rough 180 to match his direction and matching his speed a few seconds later. "Where's Sideways?"

"With Hawk," Caden muttered darkly, clearly not happy about the fact. Glancing over at the Topkick, he saw Lennox looking toward the quarry worriedly, the major having known about the Con's nearly successful attempt on Hawk's life on Cybertron. "Yeah, I know what you're thinking, but...he's got it." _I hope._

"Chromia and Bumblebee were cut off by Onslaught and a few of his Combaticons," Ironhide said, explaining why he and Lennox were the only ones looking for him.

"Then let's back 'em up. Lead the way."

Lennox nodded to Ironhide at the Bot's hesitance, and the Topkick went off-road through a cluster of bushes and tall grass, Caden's pilfered car following closely. After about a minute passed with worry and anxiety flowing through him, Caden did a 180 and went back toward the quarry.

"Slaggit, Drake! What are you doing?"

"I can't leave him to fight Sideways alone. It's been years, maybe millennia since they've last fought. The Con could have a whole litany of tricks up his metal sleeves that Hawk has no idea about. Go help your wife, uh, sparkmate. Trust me, I'll be fine." He saw Ironhide reluctantly keep going toward the sounds of battle through his rearview mirror and heard Lennox's voice through the speaker of his phone.

"Good luck, kid."

Caden arched an eyebrow and smirked. "Luck," he asked snarkily. "In my experience, Major, there's no such thing as luck." A light chuckle was heard over the connection before it broke and he was left to the relative silence and solitude of driving.

…

Chromia was busy taking on two Combaticons at once when her sparkmate arrived, Bumblebee managing to hold his own against Onslaught himself. When Ironhide joined the fray, however, a twin blast from his new Que-made cannons offlined one of Chromia's opponents for good and another heavily damaged Onslaught. Bee took that as an opportunity to shove his cannon into the Con's elbow joint and fire, severing the lower half of his arm and causing him to shriek in pain. The roars of two more engines were heard in the distance, and Ironhide looked to see Knockout and his ever-attached appendage Breakdown streaking toward them, the flamboyant red Ferrari a stark contrast to the tough-looking military jeep.

Snarling in contempt, the weapon specialist left Bee and Chromia to handle the two remaining Cons and fired his weapons on the newcomers, causing them to swerve in evasive maneuvers and Knockout to whine about dirt getting on his brilliant finish. Breakdown transformed and engaged Ironhide up-close, but the bulky Con was no match for the older, more experienced Bot. As it were, the Decepticon partners were barely holding their own against Ironhide, and the Autobot specialist honestly seemed to be enjoying the battle...until Breakdown pointed his shoulder cannon at Chromia. Then all bets were off.

…

By the time Caden returned to the quarry, he could see the signs of damage both on the facility and the robots battling in it, and though Sideways had clearly taken the worst of it, he could see that Hawk's movements were getting a bit sluggish. One moment of hesitation was all the Decepticon assassin would need to power up his rifle and give Hawk's spark the blast that he had intended all those years ago. Caden's teeth clenched. _Not on my watch. _The pedal literally hit the metal as the spy pushed the car to its limit and into Sideways' legs, bowling the Con over and causing half his torso to crush the right side of the car.

Snarling in anger, Sideways rolled off, dragging his claws through the roof and yanking it out of its driving pattern and into a wall. The airbag deployed, and Caden was pinned to his seat for barely a moment, but a moment was all his enemy needed. Sideways sent his saw through one end of the roof lengthwise and tore the rest of it off, activating his rifle and leveling it at the spy. Once again, he found himself staring down death, but this time, he _knew _help was coming, and actually smiled as he heard the loud thumps of Hawk's sprinting steps.

Realizing his error, Sideways spun rapidly, firing a hastily aimed shot in Hawk's direction. The Bot juked around it, spinning counterclockwise mid-stride to shuffle to Sideways' right, slashing his right-hand blade forward as he fell into a slide, dragging the blade's edge through the mounting servo of the Nucleon rifle. It fell to the ground with a loud thud, and its owner's optics went to their maximum width as he realized he was done. Hawk plunged both blades into his body, one through his right shoulder and the other his left hand, pinning him against the wall.

Turning to Caden, he saw the "Consultant" standing, unharmed. "You okay," he asked to confirm. The human responded with a nod, causing Hawk to nod back before turning his attention to Sideways. "Tell Megatron," he hissed out, "that Caden Drake is off-limits. If he wants the human, he better come for him himself, because as long as I'm still standing, he will _never_ get what he wants." He threw Sideways sideways, snapping his blades back into their sheaths and glaring at him.

"You've gone soft," Sideways snarled, left hand clutching his right shoulder, "lost your edge."

Hawk grinned at him mockingly. "Is that why you're disarmed and running home to mama?" He sensed Caden tense beside him, obviously expecting the fight to break out again, but Hawk knew better. As expected, all Sideways did was snarl at him and sluggishly transform, driving away at an equally sluggish speed. "Like I said," he laughed, turning to Drake, "running home."

Caden laughed heartily. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be older and wiser, you're crazy."

The Bot cocked his head. "No," he started thoughtfully, looking back toward Sideways' dust trail, "I just know my enemy."

…

Optimus spun clockwise, dragging the shallow edge of his right-hand sword across Shockwave's chest plates as the Con recoiled in an attempt at a dodge. Lunging forward, the Prime brought his left sword down on Shockwave's cannon, knocking the barrel away as his right sword stabbed into his left shoulder. Yelling in pain and rage, the Con swept his left hand and shield upward, the sharp end cutting through part of his shoulder plating and causing the Prime to recoil defensively. His left-hand blade was knocked off his arm by a shield bash on Shockwave's part, and the Con raised his cannon, firing at him point-blank. Prime flew back, rolling sluggishly as he hit the ground, the battle with the assassin taxing him more than he would like to admit.

As Shockwave readied himself for another salvo, the angry rumble of a GMC Topkick was heard behind Optimus, as was its transformation and combat roll. Ironhide drew his cannons as he rose to a crouch, leveling them at Shockwave and firing, blowing the Con back twenty feet with sheer force. Shockwave rose to his feet, snarling at the both of them as the leader got to his feet, then turning his head to the side slightly, freezing as his expression turned even angrier, if that was possible. Optimus and Ironhide exchanged a brief look, weapons leveled at the assassin, before the Con finally came out of his stupor, red eye glaring at the two of them.

"This...isn't over, Prime," he hissed out at them before turning and transforming into his jet form, flying away at maximum speed.

"It is for now," Optimus said to no one in particular. As his optics scanned the area, trailing over the minimal injuries and casualties, he accessed his comm. system and sent a message to Hawk. "The boy, is he…?"

"He's fine," the Bot replied. "Handled himself like a pro, as always."

Though it was clear Hawk was trying not to let much emotion leak through, Prime could hear the pride in his voice and smiled. "Good."

…

2 hours later, 8:41 PM EST

NEST headquarters

Washington, DC

The post-op meeting was short but sweet, all team leaders summarizing the main points of the rescue mission-turned-all-out battle. Optimus finished the meeting by telling Que that his battle with Shockwave showed him that he needed access to more firepower in the field and commissioning a new mobile armory to be built for him. When they adjourned, Hawk withdrew from the room and transformed into his semi-beat up Lamborghini form.

Caden strode over to the car and patted the hood affectionately before climbing into the driver's seat. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle." The car purred at him as he gripped the shifter and smoothly drove him from NEST all the way to his house. The Bot was silent the whole time, and Caden knew something was off. He stood next to the car after parking it in his garage, looking at it intensely before hitting the button to close the door. "You're recharging here tonight." It wasn't a request.

Hawk's holoform appeared, and, like his actual body, he had scratches, cuts, bruises, and various other injuries from his battle with Sideways. "Why the sudden hostility?"

Caden looked at him, brows drawn together, and shook his head. "No hostility. You've just been quiet lately. I figure it's either from your injuries or something bothering you." The Bot looked away, and he knew the latter was the case. "So what's up," he asked, leaning against a wall. His stare left little room for reticence, his dark gaze piercing even to Hawk's eon-old optics.

Eventually, the Bot looked down and away, his expression ashamed. "I...I almost let him have you." He looked up to see Drake's face unchanged, his expression impassive. Taking a breath, Hawk continued. "I thought he would bring you back to Megatron, and that using your cell signal, we could trace you to his lair, ambush him, end the war once and for all. I tried to use you as bait, without your consent or knowledge. I'm so sorry." Their eyes met and stayed that way until Hawk was forced to turn away from Caden's dark, unchanging gaze.

"I forgive you."

Hawk's head snapped up and met his eyes, this time a little softer and laced with understanding...and something else he couldn't identify. "Really?"

Caden nodded. "Really. Put in your position, knowing what you could do, I might have done the same. Trusted you to handle yourself until I could swoop in with reinforcements and get you to safety."

Hawk's optics widened as he looked down again, this time in thought. _Was that really what I was doing? _he thought. _No, it wasn't. I didn't consider his skills, or how he could have been killed regardless. _Looking back up, he kept his composure and emotions tightly, but Caden had almost inhuman powers of intuition. If he flashed any sign of the guilt he was still feeling, Caden would have seen it. "Well, thank you. I don't really think you would have been as cold and calculating, but...thanks."

Caden nodded and gave him a brief, almost forced smile before turning to the garage door. "Get some rest, and make sure your auto-repair protocols are working."

"They are, thanks." Hawk watched him go, shutting the door behind him and leaving the Bot in sweet darkness. His holoform vanished, and he went into recharge, a proximity sensor set up in case the Cons tried to attack again, thinking how his mysterious host was quite possibly one of the bravest sentients he'd ever met.

…

Caden climbed the steps sluggishly, distantly remembering his brief scuffle with Sideways' holoform and wanting nothing more than to crash into bed. After a brief, gentle shower, he did just that, gingerly pulling the covers over his shirtless torso, wanting to avoid aggravating his injuries. His head spun from the events of the day, replaying it over and over again with his perfect memory. Getting kidnapped was the thing that bothered him least, now that Hawk made his confession, though honestly, he didn't know why. He had meant what he said about doing the same thing in his position...mostly. Honestly, until he was put in that position himself, he, like most people, had no idea how he would react.

Hawk was trying to act for the greater good, he knew that. _I'd like to think I would too, but… _He grimaced. _I've lost...so many people in my life, but so has Hawk. Hell, with a million years of war, he's probably lost so much more than I can imagine. _There came a point, though, when the greater good had to be the people you care about. Drake knew better than anyone that even if he ended this war, if there was no one to share the peace with...he'd be empty. His face softened. _I learned that the hard way when I went after the Keystone. _Caden gave out a long sigh as he rolled painfully onto his side, face settling against his pillow. _I just hope I can show him that without nearly so much pain._

* * *

AN: The battle sequence was extraordinarily long, simply because it was chaos with a lot of different angles and parties involved. Nasty business, especially with Shockwave. Hope you liked it, and as always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: AOE - I'm an Autobot: Caden's breakout to Hawk's threat


	5. The Key Stone of Our Lives Part 1

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Mudflap

Skids

Que/Wheeljack

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Dreadwing

Read my profile for an explanation of this list, and PM or review with suggestions.

* * *

Hawk was trying to act for the greater good, he knew that. _I'd like to think I would too, but… _He grimaced. _I've lost...so many people in my life, but so has Hawk. Hell, with a million years of war, he's probably lost so much more than I can imagine. _There came a point, though, when the greater good had to be the people you care about. Drake knew better than anyone that even if he ended this war, if there was no one to share the peace with...he'd be empty. His face softened. _I learned that the hard way when I went after the Keystone. _Caden gave out a long sigh as he rolled painfully onto his side, face settling against his pillow. _I just hope I can show him that without nearly so much pain.  
_

…

30 minutes earlier

Unknown location

Sideways was _not _happy. He had done something that was usually reserved for useless Cons like Starscream: failed. Unlike the Screamer, however, Sideways was determined to just get it over with as quickly as possible, and entered the darkened throne room to find Starscream silently gloating over the assassin's bad fortune, a stupid grin plastered on his face. The Decepticon sniper snarled at him silently, approaching a standing Megatron from behind. Before Sideways could speak, his lord and master did.

"I detect a distinctive lack of insect smell on you, Sideways."

The Con froze in fear, the dangerously neutral tone of Megatron's voice setting him on edge, nothing betraying whether he was disappointed, angry, or amused. He just hoped he wasn't feeling homicidal. "I-I've failed, my lord."

Megatron's next action removed all doubt of his mood. "I know!" he hissed, spinning toward Sideways angrily. "You seem to be making a _habit_ of it!" He yelled, motioning to both Sideways and Starscream. "How hard is it to capture _one human_?!"

"My lord, if I may-"

"You may not! I tire of your excuses and failures, both of you! My right and left hands have been making a habit of getting themselves cut off, and I tire of hearing of it."

"But sir, Hawk was there."

Megatron stopped immediately, still fuming but no longer raging. "Hawk…" he said thoughtfully. "So the traitor lives." It wasn't a question. "This is most interesting." He thought for a few more moments, his sudden silence somehow even more terrifying than his open rage. "And he defeated you, once again."

Sideways nodded. "He fought like a Terrorcon. I don't think I've ever seen him that...enraged."

Megatron grinned malevolently. "Perfect. It would seem our old comrade has developed a soft spot for his human pet. Excellent."

Sideways knew better than to interrupt his master's thoughts, as did Starscream, and they both looked on in confusion as Megatron's smile widened. The human would play a vital part in the final downfall of Optimus Prime and his Autobots. For now, the Decepticon leader knew he would have to plan carefully and bide his time, waiting for the right opportunity. This was no issue for him, as he had been doing such for the last near-million Earth years. He could and would wait as long as necessary to ensure his revenge.

…

2 months later

Sudley, VA

8 months after the death of the Fallen

Caden's eyes opened at a slight creak from downstairs, his sharp ears and natural instincts awakening him from sleep at the tiny disturbance. Blearily, he got out of bed and shook his head after checking the time, willing his wits to sharpen and shaking off sleep. He retrieved his Sig from the nearby dresser and flipped the safety off, keeping the MA system off as well until he had a reason to use it. Sweeping from the third floor to the second, he stared at the staircase to the first floor with narrowed eyes, remembering the last time he'd heard such noises in his home. The scuffle with Sideways' holoform was ever-present in his mind, even after two months, and he had purposely stepped up his security in response.

The house-wide system was enhanced with the same encryption that the Autobots put into NEST's mainframe at Hawk's insistence after he convinced the young spy to swallow his pride, and Hawk himself spent most nights either parked up front or in his garage. Given this, it was nearly impossible that anyone could get inside undetected. Caden narrowed his eyes at the prevailing darkness. _Nearly. _Striding down the stairs cautiously, he checked over the sides of the staircase, remembering all too well how Sideways had gotten the drop on him, the thick shadows barely illuminated by the failing moonlight. When he got to the bottom, he turned around sharply, checking all the angles of the open atrium and finding nothing. After a few more minutes of heart-pounding searching, he lowered his weapon, concluding that the noise had been either something in a dream or simply a trick of his mind.

He still had nightmares about the supposed death of Kara Bensen over two years ago, though they had calmed considerably since the death of her father and their subsequent make-up. As he exhaled deeply, tucking the weapon into the back of his sleeping shorts, he felt a slight breeze on the side of his bare chest, indicating sharp movement at around seven feet away, and turned toward it to see a shadow rush toward him. Rolling to his side, he was bowled over by a sharp kick to his shoulder, delivered much faster than should have been possible, and recovered with a slightly sluggish roll, his movements becoming sharper as more adrenaline flooded his system. A snap-kick from the shadowy attacker was deflected sharply with his left hand while his right drew his Sig. The gun clattered to the floor a second later as the intruder, whose posture and bodily structure he surmised to be female, delivered a sharp kick to his wrist, momentarily cutting off the blood flow to his hand as Drake lashed out in frustration.

A left jab from Caden was ducked, and the right hook that followed was caught, the lithe, tall woman spinning counterclockwise into his torso, using her proximity to increase her leverage and tossing him onto his back. As he flew through the air, only one thought rushed through Caden's head.

_No. Way._

He hit the floor with a grunt and stayed there, not because of his injuries, but because he knew exactly who his attacker was, and that he had no reason to fight. No reason either when she threw him to the ground, or strutted over to him, the moonlight revealing her black skinny jeans and leather jacket, a closed vest underneath. No reason when she swung a leg over him and straddled his bare chest, leaning down to pin his shoulders down with her hands, her face falling within mere inches of his, a lock of her dark hair tickling his neck as the moonlight illuminated half her smirking face.

"Hey there, stranger," she breathed out huskily, the familiar voice sending a familiar shiver of excitement through his system. "You miss me?"

He took in as deep a breath as possible with her long, perfect body on him and smiled. "I certainly did...Kara."

…

2 minutes later

"You want somethin' to drink?"

Kara nodded emphatically, smiling at him warmly as she shuffled backward onto the granite kitchen counter, tapping her heels against the side of it alternatingly as she watched Caden work. Her eyes traced over him, admiring the wiry muscles that seemed to have been sculpted out of the material she was sitting on, admiring his ever-impeccable posture and hospitality toward her, and yes, admiring his many scars, the ones from wounds so ill-treated or critical that not even his advanced Achilles healing could fix. He had always been, in her mind, unnecessarily self-conscious about them. She thought they complimented him nicely, with enough volume to show he'd been through a lot without being so many that they drew attention away from his body's sheer sculpted beauty.

"None of the good stuff, I'm afraid," he said, smiling back at her gently as he hefted a six-pack of wine coolers toward the counter on her right side.

She shook her head in mock disappointment. "You're not even old enough to drink, Cade."

He snickered. "Like that's ever stopped me," he said, handing her one, grinning like an idiot.

She smiled widely as she took it and pulled the cap off with her deceptively delicate fingers, lifting the neck to her lips and taking a long sip. "True," she said after gulping down the weak alcohol. "I remember the first night you ever got drunk. I thought you were gonna make a million bucks off shots alone. You downed more than almost the entire bar's worth of cocky idiots willing to bet money on the game."

"And I was still standing," he said, pointing at her, a cocky grin on his face from the memory.

"Barely."

He shrugged in response, looking up at the ceiling while taking another long swig, emptying half his bottle. "So why are you here," he asked finally, after a long pause.

She sighed quietly, knowing he was far too sharp to assume this was a social call. "I wish I could say it was just because I missed you, but…" She sighed again, looking up to see him looking at her intently, but not unpleasantly. "I need your help," she finished, a pleading expression on her face. He blinked twice quickly in acknowledgement. "An old enemy of yours has resurfaced, and I'm afraid we won't be able to catch him." Caden's lip twitched a little at the word "we." "Resources alone won't solve everything. You're maybe the only one who has any experience with how he works, how he thinks."

"Who is 'he'?"

She sighed heavily and looked down and away, suddenly very interested with the design of the kitchen floor. "Carmine di Carmello." A slight gasp came from Caden, and she looked up to see him staring at her, wide-eyed and gaping in disbelief.

"You mean...he's loose? He escaped?"

She gulped and nodded.

He exhaled again and looked away, his jaw clenching a few times. "Shit," he breathed out in a whisper.

Caden wasn't one to curse casually any more than he was to have extramarital sex. She had known that since the time they had started getting closer, and the fact that he uttered that one word now worried her. If he found the need to curse at just hearing that Carmine was alive and free, then the former Keystone operative had obviously made a gigantic impact on him, and not in a good way.

"When," he asked sharply, all traces of mirth or sleep gone now.

"I only found out yesterday."

"What's he up to?"

"I have no idea. All I can say for sure is that he isn't alone, and a few of his men are holed up in a warehouse district outside Kiev. If we're to have any chance of finding and capturing him, we need to get a hold of as many as we can and interrogate them."

He nodded slowly, eyes narrowing at something off to his right, a familiar look of sinister determination on his face. "My thoughts exactly, save one detail." She looked at him, eyebrows knitted together, and he locked eyes with her, clenching his jaw briefly before explaining. "I'm not going there to capture him."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion before widening again in realization at his implication. "You know him better than I do, so...I won't question your judgement." A long silence passed between them as they both considered what to say next. "We leave in the morning."

He nodded once in agreement, making a mental note to explain all of this to Hawk before he left.

…

Next day, morning

_Well, _Caden thought with a wince, _that went over better than expected._ He grimaced some more as Hawk ranted off all the reasons why a spur-of-the-moment trip to Eastern Europe was a very, very bad idea.

"All right," Caden interrupted irritably, "I get it." A long silence reigned as an agitated Hawk stared at his human charge, eye-to-optic, a silent mental battle occurring between them as Kara looked on out of sight. "Does Optimus disapprove as strongly?"

The question was so random, it actually took Hawk off-guard. "N-No," the Bot responded in a stutter. "I mean, I haven't asked him, so…"

"Exactly, you haven't. Please do."

Hawk stared at him agape, realizing from the stern, determined expression on Caden's face that he wasn't going to budge. Activating his comm. system with a huff, he tried to ventilate his frustration out as he realized that Caden had just gone over his head to the person who was, in the end, one of two people who could ultimately decide what was necessary to preserve the human's safety.

"Prime here," Optimus said over the link.

"Yeah, Optimus...uh, Caden wants to go to Ukraine." Silence.

"For what purpose?"

Hawk sighed heavily. "He got a message from a close friend about a dangerous human criminal that just escaped custody. He, like his friend, is afraid that this man may be planning something insidious."

Another long silence kept up before Optimus sighed over the link. "I see. While it is true that Decepticons seem to have operations worldwide, that area seems too well-defended and vigilant to have a significant enemy presence, and thus far, we have gathered no evidence to the contrary. Inform Mr. Drake that he has my permission to go."

Seething with constrained frustration, Hawk replied simply, "Copy that. Hawk out." Turning to his human charge, the Autobot glared at him, eliciting a raising of Caden's left eyebrow. "You have permission."

Caden nodded and rose from his seat on Hawk's hood, not even bothering to look as the Bot's holoform vanished and the car backed up out of the garage, engine fuming angrily. The now-nineteen kid strode over to where Kara had been sitting patiently and watched as she gave him a small smile. He ran a hand through her chest-length hair, brushing a few almost-black locks behind her ear as he leaned down and hugged her with his other arm. "I missed you," he whispered longingly.

She smiled against his cheek and kissed it briefly. "I missed you too."

…

4 hours later

Kara had set up the entirety of his traveling arrangements ahead of time, anticipating both the fifteen-hour flight and the fact that his Autobot guardian would likely want to come along. The two humans were sitting in the nicer portion of the custom-made cargo/passenger plane, Caden having long fled from the wrath of his disgruntled Cybertronian friend in the cargo hold. She stood up and walked over to the seat next to him, sitting next to her daydreaming friend. Caden was looking out the window absently, admiring the view above the sparse clouds, and she smiled at his thoughtful expression, liking it much better than the barely contained rage she had seen last night at the mention of Carmine.

"Hey," she said, placing her hand on his.

He turned to her and nodded slightly. "Hey." His hand turned over and fingers curled and knitted between hers. She looked down at their interlocked hands and stared for a few moments before he spoke again. "What's up?"

Her dark eyes snapped to his, and she shook her head briefly. "Nothing. I just…" She sighed and looked away.

"What's wrong?"

A long silence reigned between them as she pressed her lips together, answering after fifteen seconds. "Six months. It's been six months since we've seen each other last."

"So," he asked, confused.

She turned to him, pain clear in her expression. "So? So, why so long?"

He raised an eyebrow slightly. "That's a two-way question, Kara. Why did it take half a year and a bloody cataclysm to bring you to my door? I gave you an open invitation, you know."

"I know, and that's the point. It was open. No sense of timing, no sense of urgency. I've been _busy_ the last few months, going from one operation to the next. Since it seemed like you didn't really have a particular urge for me to stop by, I wasn't just gonna drop everything to jump on a plane for a day."

He rolled his eyes. "First off, the flight is _not_ that long, and secondly…" He sighed tiredly. "Secondly, I really don't care right now. What matters is that I'm here, and we're together." _For now,_ he thought mournfully. From the moment she announced her long-term takeover of the Keystone, he knew that there would always be a wedge driven between them in one regard or another. Snapping his mind away from that, he focused on her gorgeous face, her impossibly dark eyes and hair, her smooth skin, the way her pale neck pulsed under his firm but gentle touch. "Until this flight is over, I really don't want to think about any of that unpleasant crap, so…" His thumb circled her neck as his voice trailed off, the kid admiring the graceful way her eyes closed in enjoyment at his touch. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, "You understand?"

"Yes," she breathed out with a nod, her eyes still closed as her arms moved to circle his torso and draw him close.

He complied silently and held her gently, hands stroking her neck and back as he buried his face in her neck, breathing in her familiar and intoxicating scent. Exhaling slowly, Caden brought his lips to her neck and kissed her slowly, savoring the feeling of her delicate skin on his lips. Her hands went to his back and stayed there, her fingers flexing almost imperceptibly as she felt out his hard muscles. He drew back and looked into her fluttering eyes, smiling slightly, his gaze intense and full of need. She closed hers and put one hand on the back of his neck, pulling him to her and pressing their lips together for the first time in six months, that one contact instantly erasing the time they'd spent apart and the pain of the separation. When they broke it a minute later, panting somewhat heavily, their eyes locked, and they both knew they it wasn't enough.

"This way," she said breathlessly as she took his hand and led him to a long couch nearby, ensuring all the doors and windows were closed so they had privacy.

Pushing him onto it, she settled next to him gingerly, her slim body barely fitting on the narrow space next to his. In response, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him, kissing her again as she melted in his embrace, wanting nothing more than to have those strong arms around her forever. His hands went everywhere, wanting to refamiliarize themselves with the feel of her body as his eyes closed, mapping out every detail and curve as a blind person might do with another's face. She breathed out raggedly, again and again pressing her lips to his, a pain in her chest flaring up sharply as she realized just how much she'd missed this, the closeness, the physical contact, the loving touch that she knew no one else could give her.

And he knew it too, stopping his exploration and simply looping his arms around her body, pulling her against him tightly and nuzzling her hair, breathing her in again as a gentle wave of exhaustion washed over them both. Kara relaxed and settled into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck as her head laid onto his muscular chest gently, rising and falling with his breathing. She dozed off mere minutes before Caden joined her, forgetting until they woke just where they were going...and what was waiting for them when they arrived.

* * *

AN: Hope you liked Kara and are looking forward to the hunt for this mysterious Carmine. You'll see just why Caden hates him so much the next chapter, and expect some sharp plot twists with regard to said terrorist, as in every iteration I have Carmine in, he does something that totally changes the game.

Oya, ner vode, and please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Skyfall - Modigliani: Kara and Caden's conversation on the plane and following


	6. The Key Stone of Our Lives Part 2

Kara relaxed and settled into his arms, wrapping her own around his neck as her head laid onto his muscular chest gently, rising and falling with his breathing. She dozed off mere minutes before Caden joined her, forgetting until they woke just where they were going...and what was waiting for them when they arrived.

…

18 hours later

Kiev, Ukraine

8 months after the death of the Fallen

Caden tapped his foot against the floor of the tactical cargo van nervously, only half at the operation about to commence, the other half at the people he found himself surrounded by. Though he recognized none of their faces, the symbol embossed on their tactical jackets in nearly invisible paint was obvious and telltale enough. _The Keystone. _He shuddered slightly at the thought. _These are the people who murdered my parents…and I'm working with them. _Shaking his head slightly, Drake reminded himself of both their new management and the power that a leader can have over his or her followers. _Raden Jadselit was a madman. _Looking over at a camera feed, he spied his closest friend and confidant. _She's not. And she begged me to give these people a chance...so I will._

"Key 1, Key 1," he said, tapping his earpiece, "this is Stone 1. Mic check."

Static reigned over the link for a brief instant before Kara's familiar voice came from the other side. "Stone 1, this is Key 1, check."

His eyes darted to the camera feed, and he saw her looking up at the UAV being controlled from his van, giving him a thumbs-up. He nodded back, despite the fact that she couldn't see him.

"All units, this is Key 1, sound off."

"Arrow operational."

"Hammer operational."

"Stone operational," a Keystone captain finished from Caden's left.

The spy looked over at the twenty-five-year-old with a piercing gaze, taking in every detail and feature as he focused on the monitor that had just held Caden's expression. Captain Trevor Korde had been something of a liason to Kara for the past year-plus as she adjusted to leading her father's organization. A "level head," she'd called him. He kept any dissenters in line and made sure she was always taken care of, though he was aware she could more than take care of herself. Korde, she had told him, was one of the primary reasons that Caden's duel with her father went, with the exception of her interference, uninterrupted. He was opposed to _Obshchego Vraga_ from its inception, like many of the people Kara now had under her command, but had lived under the threat of death for disobedience for so long that all of them considered Raden's word law.

He had almost laughed at her when she told him that, almost called them weak, but then he realized that if he'd been taken in by the Keystone, as many of them were, given a skill set, taught to use it, been treated like family when he had none, he might have turned out the same, conscience be damned. Now, staring at the grim-faced captain, he caught a glimpse of just what she saw in him. _Confidence, focus...duty._ The spy's face shifted subtly and suddenly became softer, not that anyone noticed. _Admirable._ Shifting his focus back to the monitors, he watched the seemingly abandoned waterfront warehouse intently, looking for any signs of movement but knowing he would find nothing. These were former Keystone operatives, after all.

"Arrow Team," Kara said over the comlink, "give me a thermal scan of the warehouse."

"Copy, ma'am."

Caden's eyes went to another monitor, the rifle-mounted camera link to Arrow 1, their resident sniper team. A second later, the real-time view of the warehouse changed drastically, and suddenly the walls of the warehouse were no longer a drag, slate-gray, but cold blue as the lead sniper switched to his infrared display. The inside of the warehouse was no longer blocked from view by its walls, but instead had varying patterns of color ranging from blue to green to red. Several red spots were sighted on every level of the warehouse, the main floor having five moving behind and in front of cold spots, three others on the edges of the large building, on two levels of what looked like catwalks.

"Eight contacts," Arrow 1 reported, "five on the ground floor, two on the second, one up top. Looks like a sniper."

"Copy," Kara responded. "Stone 1, what's the angle?"

The van suddenly felt very hot to Caden as every eye present turned to him expectantly. He did his best to ignore their intense stares as his eyes washed over the monitors, glancing every few seconds at the mobile heat signatures seen by Arrow. _Rooftop? No, too exposed. Windows all over the place on the upper levels. Ground floor's out of the question. The entrances are too narrow. It'd be a frickin' massacre._ His teeth clenched as he realized how familiar this situation was, and he gave out a humorless chuckle as he shook his head, sneering at the feeds bitterly. _I'm fighting the Keystone all over again. _Looking around him briefly, he clamped down on the bitter laughter threatening to overwhelm him. _With the Keystone. Oh, Raden must be laughin' his ass off at me right now._

Breathing out slowly, he returned his focus to the screens and set his expression, the hardness and focus in it suddenly making everyone around him look away. Though he had never met any of them personally, they all knew his face from the countless encounters their comrades had been engaged with him in, as well as his many looks and expressions. This one was none to be trifled with, and although a new sense of confidence came upon them, they couldn't help but feel fear, as many a time, that expression was one he had thrown in their direction.

"There," he said finally and authoritatively, pointing to an alleyway between the warehouse and an adjacent row of storage sheds. "There's an alley on the warehouse's east side. The sloping roof of the target building should cover your approach, Key, but on the offchance they have others in play that we don't know about, Hammer will be ready with heavy weapons on another rooftop. Arrow, keep watch on that sniper, and if you get the chance, take him out. We do this clean and efficiently. No friendly casualties, understand?" Even without turning, he could _feel_ the ripple of surprise from his surroundings, and if the momentary pause over the comlink was any indication, the rest of the operatives present felt the same way.

"Understood," Kara replied for them, motioning for her men to follow Caden's orders and enter the alley. Hammer Team moved to ascend to the rooftop of a building across the street, overlooking the area of operations with several RPGs and LMGs, ready to blast anything that tried to run. Caden could see the crosshairs of Arrow 1 line up on the head of the topmost heat signature, despite the extensive cover in the way, getting within a ballpark of a shot in case the opportunity presented itself. Everything was in place by one minute in, clean and quick. Even Drake had to smile a little at the smoothness of their operations and wonder what his fight against the Keystone might've been like if he'd had some of these people behind him. "In place, Stone. Waiting on your call."

Caden watched Arrow's heat monitor for a few more moments, eyes narrowing in concentration as he waited for the guards on the ground to turn away from Key's entry point. "Go," he said sharply when they finally did, prompting Kara's team to silently enter the warehouse from the east side. No sounds could be heard over the link except the occasional shuffling of the Keystone infiltrators. Caden knew it was only a matter of time before they were discovered, and hoped they could find decent cover and preferably high ground before the shooting started. After all, it was eight on eight, and the enemy had unknown armaments and possibly backup. Drake's nerves grated with the wait, and he found himself biting down on his lower lip hard. _I'm the one who'd be out there with her. I_ should_ be out there with her._

Shoving his worries away, Caden reminded himself that she had a trusted team and a whole lot of firepower backing her up. If the enemy so much as looked in her direction, they'd fall prey to an overwhelming amount of reinforcements, even for them. Suddenly, a grunt was heard over the comm. from a soldier on Key, whose biometrics spiked and then dropped to dangerously low levels. _Damn!_

"Key, I think they-"

"Contact!" Kara yelled to her team. "Weapons free!" Sounds of automatic gunfire filled the comlink, and suddenly, both the UAV and every other camera link in the area went down.

_Dammit!_ "Kara! Kara, do you read?!"

"Here, Stone! Taking heavy fire! Watch your three!" The gunfire intensified, and panic momentarily struck Caden as his breath became labored.

"Arrow," he said, voice stern and almost cracking, "do you have eyes on them with thermal?"

"Negative, sir. Whatever they hit us with, it took out everything except comms."

"That's because our comm. system is the only networked equipment we have that's EMP-hardened," Korde said from his left, cursing sharply in Polish. "Key 1, do you read?" No response. "Key 1, do you copy," he demanded almost desperately.

Caden's eyes snapped to the man's face and an eyebrow raised at the sheer worry in his expression. Dismissing that thought, he looked back to the blank monitors for a second before making a decision. Drawing his Sig and slinging his Daggertail, he checked his ammo briefly before sharply yanking the slide of the pistol back, loading a round into the chamber and storming toward the back door of the van.

"Stone 1," Korde said in a confused tone. "Drake, where the hell are you going?!"

"To back them up," he responded instantly, shoving the door open and pushing past the other Keystone analysts. _Should've never sent her in there without me._

"Drake, no! She can handle herself!" The worried, almost panicked tone in his voice belied his words, and Caden wondered at exactly what that meant for a moment before returning his attention to the matter at hand. "Stick to the plan!"

"The _plan_ just got fragged, Korde! Adjust!" With that, the nineteen-year-old broke into a sprint and rushed toward the warehouse, Sig Sauer in hand, his signature engraved on both sides of the slide and shining in the bright noon sun. When he got within twenty feet of the building, he leapt atop a nearby dumpster and lunged for a second-floor window, crashing through the glass and into an enemy gunman on the other side. Arms wrapped around his neck, Caden snapped it, and he was dead before he hit the deck of the catwalk. Rolling to avoid a sudden burst of gunfire, Drake rose to a crouch and pumped two .45 shots in the direction of the shooter, forcing him behind cover.

"Stone 1, this is Key 1!"

"Kara, where the _hell _have you been?!" Korde yelled into the comm. Caden's eyebrows shot up as he found cover and reloaded, his curiosity rising even further than before. _An employee really shouldn't be this worried about his employer's safety, but the way she talks about him...he's not just anyone to her. _Shoving that thought away, he refocused on the battle at hand and shifted out of cover just as the enemy popped out, kneecapping him before shooting his dominant elbow, causing him to drop his weapon and shriek in agony. More gunfire came from above, and he saw that the sniper was actually a light machine gunner in a well-fortified gunner nest, with only one way up and a whole lot of sandbags between him and the enemy. Caden grit his teeth as he dove behind cover again.

"Not now, 2! Where's Stone 1?"

"Run off to save your ass, that's where, in case the cowboy yells weren't enough of an indication."

Caden's left eyebrow shot up and his eyes widened, his entire face twisted in slight shock as amusement struck him despite the situation. _Smart, loyal,_ and_ snippy. I can see why he's a close friend._ He vainly tried to suppress a grin and forced himself to stop smiling and focus on getting out of there alive, peeking out of cover to see the gunner taking potshots at the fleeing team, additional shots coming from the ground floor as the last three former Keystone operatives laid down blanketing fire. Looking at the pillbox the gunner was situated in, he reached for his belt and pulled out a special gift from Que: a highly compressed, magnetic plastic explosive intended for use against Decepticons. Arming it and its magnetic fastening system, Caden threw the explosive at the top of the platform and smiled confidently as it seamlessly attached itself to the box's upper support.

His thumb slammed on the detonator, and the entire platform shook and collapse as the heavy explosive shattered its tethers, causing it to fall twenty-four feet into an enemy soldier below. As the two downstairs were the last enemy targets he could see, Caden vaulted over the railing of the catwalk and rolled on contact with the ground, holstering his Sig mid-fall and raising his Daggertail as he rose to his feet. A burst of automatic rounds cut across the torso of an enemy, shooting him down as his remaining partner readjusted and dove for cover. As Hawk had predicted months before, neither his pistol nor rifle kicked much at all when the MA system was turned off, allowing him to lay down heavy suppressing fire on the soldier's position and feeling barely a nudge from his beloved weapon in response.

As the enemy contact popped out of cover to return fire, a Keystone agent came up behind him and knocked the gun out of his hands, engaging him hand-to-hand with matched skills. The enemy was twisting behind and in front of the friendly agent, preventing Caden from getting a clear shot on them, but when they grappled for a moment or two, the friendly saw Drake looking for an opening and took the hint, twisting and rolling away to put significant distance between them. The enemy operative charged his unarmed opponent for a moment before realizing his mistake. _One moment too late, _Caden thought darkly as he peppered the rogue assassin with automatic rounds.

"Is everyone okay," he asked over the comm., and was met with several responses of affirmation before Kara piped up.

"Two injured from their surprise attack, but we're all still breathing."

Caden let out a sigh of relief and heard it mirrored by Korde over the comlink. Looking around the warehouse, Drake made note of all the bodies and their locations, closing his eyes and using his eidetic memory to envision a 3D model of the warehouse, the procedure of the battle after he arrived, and the likely resting places of downed enemy contacts. He knew at least one, the one he kneecapped earlier, was still alive, but since he had no thermal or other surveillance inside the warehouse before entering, he had no idea how many had actually been downed.

"Kara," Drake said, "how many enemy contacts did you take out before I got here?"

She consulted her men for a moment before replying over comm. "Two, both on the ground floor. We had to pull back before we could get any more clean shots."

Caden nodded absently, his impossibly fast mind already accounting for the two extra bodies he noticed at separate corners of the building. _One on the second-floor catwalk, one in the pillbox...five on the ground floor. That makes seven._ "Kara, there were eight contacts when we swept the building with thermal, yes?"

"Yeah?"

Caden's eyes narrowed as he crouched near one of the bodies. "I only count seven bodies."

"Arrow," Korde said, realization showing in his tone, "are your scopes back up and running?"

"Yes, sir, they're coming online now."

"I want you to sweep the surrounding area for any signs of that last contact. He_ cannot _escape and warn Carmine of what we're up to."

"Understood. Stand by." A long minute passed before they got any report. "I think I've got something...thermal sig, second floor!"

Caden's eyes snapped to the catwalk on the east side and spotted the contact lining up a shot on the agent that had just helped him take down the seventh enemy operative. "Down!" the spy yelled as he lunged for him, swinging his left side between the agent and the enemy. A bullet tore into his body armor, imbedding itself uncomfortably above his shoulder blade, the kevlar having stopped it. Caden swung his Daggertail toward the enemy and unleashed a six-round burst one-handed, the pain in his left shoulder preventing an immediate two-handed grip. The opposing agent had already left the building, however, and was nowhere to be seen.

"I got him!" Arrow shouted over the comlink. "He's heading toward the riverfront!"

"That doesn't make any sense," Kara said thoughtfully but hurriedly. "The water's frigid this time of year, and the river's wide enough that trying to swim across is tantamount to suicide...unless…"

"Unless he has reinforcements," Caden finished, sprinting for the second floor and storming out an open window onto the warehouse's rooftop as his right hand slung his rifle again and reached over to the back of his shoulder, prying out the crushed bullet. He could see Key Team moving in the direction of the river below him, and sprinted hard for the edge of the roof. "I got him!" The last enemy was running for his life, rapidly approaching the freezing water as Caden absently observed what looked like a police patrol boat zipping down the current toward him. Relief flooded his system before he looked at the front of the boat and noticed something that wasn't supposed to be there: a .50 caliber machine gun reinforced with steel plates around the gunner, protecting him in a 270 degree arc. _Oh shit! _"Key, break off! Scatter!"

The warning came too late, as the team was already within thirty feet of the target when the gunner opened fire. The heavy automatic rounds tore through two agents as Kara yelled at her people to find cover. They did, but another agent took a round to the leg, nearly severing it as he shrieked in agony, hitting the ground behind a heavy barrel. Kara shouted something over the comlink, but Caden couldn't hear it over the panicked drumming of his heart in his ears. Raising his rifle, he swept the red dot over the gunner box, but the boat was so far away, he couldn't get a clear shot.

"Arrow," he yelled into the comlink, "do you have a shot?!"

"Negative, sir. That shield of his covers too much. There's a small gap where I might be able to hit him, but I don't have the right angle."

Caden swore under his breath and racked his brain for options. He couldn't throw an explosive this far, and he couldn't shoot the gunner. He couldn't risk getting any closer to get a clean shot, or he'd be in its line of fire without any cover. Arrow didn't have a line on them. Breathing heavily, he clenched his fists in frustration, knowing that every that passed was another that a stray shot could ricochet off something metal and cut down Kara. _Wait...Hammer._

"Hammer," he said hurriedly, "do you have line of sight on the enemy gunboat?"

"Yes sir, but we're out of range. There's no way we can make that shot."

Caden's eyes narrowed. _Maybe under normal circumstances, but with me…_ "Turn on your RPG-mounted camera and give me access to that feed." Drake feverishly pulled out his PDA and tapped a few keys before the restored camera feed showed him the view from Hammer 1's RPG scope. In the upper-right corner, he saw the lettering, "Operational Range - 30 m". They were at least 60 from the target in question, but that didn't daunt the man in charge. "All right, focus the scope on that building twenty meters from your position." The image sharpened and showed a small union flag flapping in a gentle breeze, indicating a slight updraft northward. With a projectile as large as a rocket-propelled grenade, wind played a huge factor in its resultant trajectory, especially at ranges like that.

Taking all this into account, as well as general humidity and the temperature, Caden gave instructions to the RPG crew to adjust their aim to a very precise degree, waiting another second for the wind to die down slightly before saying sharply, "Fire." As he looked back at Hammer's rooftop, he saw the bright flash of a rocket ignition and watched as the RPG streaked toward his building at a sharp angle. _Come on,_ he thought, gritting his teeth. Ducking to the side, Caden watched in panicked hope as the rocket shot by in slow motion, making its way toward the water in an arc before going exactly where he had meant it to-right into the enemy boat. The gunner fell silent as a deafening explosion hit the vehicle and cracked it in half, the fireball expanding in a ten-foot radius around it, ensuring that if anyone did survive, they would have injuries too serious for them to swim to safety.

Caden released a held breath as he saw Kara rise from cover slowly and look in his direction, giving him a small smile and a thumbs-up as she and the rest of her team made their way toward the waterfront and the shocked enemy operative. Drake snarled in contempt as the man in the distance lowered his weapons and put his hands on his head, cursing the fact that they needed him alive as Kara scowled at him while one of her men zip-tied him and yanked him toward the holding vehicle. Caden sighed in relief again as he realized it was over for now. There were a few hiccups, and two casualties, but overall, the operation went smoothly. He just hoped that the rest of the hunt would go as well.

…

1 minute earlier

Carmine di Carmello watched gleefully as the boat gunner tore through Kara Bensen's men with abandon. Situated on a tall rooftop on the other side of the river, the former Keystone operative had a front-row seat to the grand show unfolding before him. A sadistic smile blossomed on his face as he imagined the guilt and shame washing over the girl at her failure to protect her men, and the smile grew larger as her cover was slowly but surely torn to shreds by the heavy gun. His grin faded instantly when a rocket silenced the attacker with an explosion, the shockwave powerful enough to be felt even as far away as he was. _That's not possible,_ he thought as he traced the rocket's smoke trail to its source. _No one can make that shot, at that distance, with an RPG. _The Italian terrorist's eyes narrowed as his eyes alighted on a dark-clad figure on the warehouse rooftop, and he reached for his binoculars to get a better look.

"_Che diavolo_!" he shouted out in shock and realization. Lowering the binoculars and blinking a few times, he raised them to his eyes again and verified that what he saw was no hallucination or trick of the eyes. _Caden Drake...is here...and working with the Keystone. _A contemptuous snarl twisted his lips. _Raden would roll over in his grave at the cruel irony of that. _And then his snarl turned into a small, malevolent smile as he turned to the helipad on the rooftop and spoke to a newfound ally. "My friend, I believe a mutual interest of ours is present in the battle below. Look carefully, and you'll see what I mean."

The strange jet's pilot stared at his plane's display for a few moments before his eyes widened in recognition and expression of sinister glee mirrored Carmine's. "You want me to go get him," he asked in the same tone.

Carmine merely nodded with a smile and watched as the jet's engines started up and took vertical flight, rising into the air before flying off into the distance and spinning back toward the waterfront and its target.

…

Caden stared at Kara as she marched back up from the riverfront, not sparing the two prisoners a glance as the Keystone agents present carried them off. "Thought you were in big trouble."

"I was," she replied with a small smile. "S'why I have you." She smiled wider, and he returned the gesture before rolling his eyes and letting his smile fade at the three body-bags in front of him, containing the victims of the machine gunner. The man with the severed leg, Carson, hadn't made it. The bullet ruptured his femoral artery, and before Key's field medic was able to get to him, he'd already bled significantly, the shock of nearly getting his leg blown off doing the rest. The other two, Falen and Tristen, had been killed instantly, the .50 caliber rounds rupturing their major organs and spines with characteristic ease. _So much for "no friendly casualties."_

Shaking his head mournfully, he strode over to the bags and leaned against the pallet they laid on, hands on either side of the center bodybag, staring at its opaque black surface and the faded Keystone symbol embossed in the center. _Who would've guessed that almost a year and a half after I virtually decimated this organization, I'd be mourning the deaths of three of its members? _Guilt racked him twofold, both at the deaths of these agents, and the thought in the back of his head that he was somehow betraying the memory of his parents by working with these people. He shook his head determinedly. _No, my parents were good people. They would've seen what they were trying to do, atone for their past mistakes, and commended them for it. Helped, even. _Like Drakon had once told him, they weren't murderers.

He felt a thin hand on his shoulder and looked for its source, seeing Kara give him a small, reassuring smile that he couldn't return. His gaze flickered behind her to see Korde glaring at them slightly, though more at him than her. Caden's eyes blinked rapidly at the sight, and he looked closer. _Is that...jealousy? _When Korde noticed that Caden was watching him intently, he looked away, gentle color rising to his cheeks as he engaged one of the snipers in a conversation about his opinion on the op's tactical value. Caden's eyes narrowed, and Kara mistakenly took this as worry. Looking back to her, he pressed his lips together in reassurance and gently pulled away from her touch, striding over to a nearby railing overlooking the warehouse and leaning against it, staring out at the waterfront.

Kara knew he wanted to be left alone with his thoughts, and walked over to the leader of Hammer team, congratulating him on his killing shot when the roar of a jet blotted out the sound of her voice. All eyes went to the sky, but Caden was the first to spot the threat, evidently not a second too soon, as two missiles streaked toward the edge of the Keystone's temporary setup. The explosions rocked the ground, knocking almost all of them to their knees as Caden made a mad dash for Kara. The jet came back around for another strafing run, and Caden activated the MA system on his rifle, sending a half-dozen high-velocity rounds toward the plane. He realized with a start that the vehicle was flying much too low for normal safety regulations, and was of a make and model he'd never seen before. Narrowing his eyes as the jet broke off, he focused on its streaking form intently. _That never happens._

So, it was to his surprise but not shock when the plane whirled around and started to nose-dive the encampment, firing its onboard gun and scattering high-caliber rounds all along the road, smashing through vehicles and perforating the pavement. What actually shocked him was the speed at which he was diving. _This pilot is crazy! No plane can bank out of a dive that sharp on a dime! _As he saw next, he didn't need to bank, as the entire vehicle vanished in a flash of golden light about a split-second before it impacted the ground. Caden's eyes went wide. _What...the frick...was that? _He got the answer a second later when the same plane descended in VTOL mode, hovering midair using a propulsion system he'd never encountered and lowering itself almost to the ground before its parts started shifting.

If it was possible, Drake's eyes widened even further in fear and realization. _No… _As much as he wanted to deny it, the shifting parts and slowly forming bipedal body, along with the red eyes and malevolent expression told him the truth. _Decepticon. Oh, Carmine could not have been that stupid… _The Con raised its right hand and fired an automatic salvo with its main gun, causing Caden to dive for cover and look around for Kara. The enemy didn't seem intent on killing him, if the haphazard spread of his shots were any indication, and Drake resolved to use this to his advantage.

"Caden!" Kara shouted over the deafening staccato of the Seeker's gun, sliding next to Caden under cover. "What the hell is this?!"

"It's after me!" he shouted back, looking toward an alleyway that led away from the Con.

"Understood, sir! We'll keep it occupied!"

Caden's head snapped toward the source of the voice, and to his atonishment, his would-be cover just so happened to be Captain Trevor Korde, who looked fearful but determined, all traces of jealousy gone from his now-grim expression. "I can't let you do that!"

"It's my choice, sir! Get the director out of here!" Korde leaned out of cover to lay down a salvo with his G36 before crouching back down and staying there, his men following suit, Hammer readying their remaining RPGs and other heavy weapons. "Go!"

Caden locked eyes with him and noticed the way he glanced at Kara-mournfully, almost longingly. The two men stared at each other for a moment before an understanding seemed to pass between them, and Drake nodded to the Keystone captain, taking Kara's reluctant hand.

"Keep him occupied," Drake shouted, "but don't risk your lives unnecessarily! He's after me, not you! As soon as he realizes I've escaped, he'll break off his attack!"

Korde nodded in understanding and gave the Con another salvo of automatic rounds as Caden and Kara sprinted for the alley and escaped the deafening firefight. As they exited to another street, Caden spotted a familiar vehicle and sprinted toward it.

"Hawk!" he yelled, and the steel-gray Lamborghini revved its engine, screeching toward the couple and spinning to a stop, opening its passenger-side door to allow them entry. Caden leapt in and spun counterclockwise into the driver's seat as Kara mounted into the passenger side. "Go, go, go!" The Autobot guardian complied and gunned his engine, carrying his human charges far away from the sounds of battle within minutes. Caden and Kara were both breathing heavily, so Hawk gave them a moment to recover before launching the question he'd been dying to ask since he heard the roar of jet engines.

"What in the Pit was that?!"

"Decepticon," Caden responded with a pant. "Seeker."

"Seeker...Starscream?"

Caden shook his head, gulping and gasping more. "No, at least I don't think so. Wrong vehicle form. No model of jet I've ever seen."

"And he just blinked out of existence," Kara blurted out, exasperated, "what was with that?!"

A shudder passed through the car, and Caden noticed. "Hawk?"

"Did you say...blinked?"

The humans looked at each other before nodding at the radio.

"Toss me in the Pit and cover me in scraplets...Skywarp."

"Skywarp," Caden asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"The most idiotic and broken of all the Seekers. Unfortunately, he's also one of the deadliest, thanks to his advanced weaponry and teleportation tech." Hawk made a sharp turn and started driving even faster, making his way toward another industrial district in Kiev, one large and deserted enough to keep them hidden until Skywarp gave up his search. Pulling into the loading dock of a rundown factory, he stopped the car and opened both doors, allowing Kara and Caden to dismount before transforming to his bipedal mode and crouching down, arms leaning on his knees. "How is Skywarp involved?"

"I don't know," Caden responded with a shake of his head, hands on his hips as he paced across the factory floor. "I don't know."

"Any theories," Hawk asked with a raised eyebrow.

Caden stopped pacing and looked at Kara, their eyes locking as they knew they both had the same thought. "Yeah, but you're not gonna like it." Hawk looked at him, arms crossed. "I think Carmine may have struck a deal with the Decepticons."

The Bot's blue optics widened and he stared at Caden, gaping. "Carmine, as in Carmine di Carmello, as in the man you and the Keystone are hunting? As in, a _human_?" Caden nodded. "Since when do the Cons take on humans as allies?"

Caden shook his head. "They don't, far as I know, but Carmine's a special kind of evil. Sadistic, brilliant, resourceful...he might actually be an asset to them, especially if they're after me."

Hawk mulled all this over, the new information and possibilities briefly overloading his processor before a random but long-time question came to his head. "Why do you and Carmine hate each other so much?"

Kara's face blanched, and she stared at Caden, whose gaze was turned toward the ground. "Hawk," she said, her voice almost a whisper, "I don't think-"

"No," Caden interrupted, "it's fine. It's behind me. I don't mind talking about it." The grim, clenched-teeth expression on his face told Hawk otherwise. "Over two years ago, I was deep undercover inside a branch-off terrorist organization led by Carmine. They were planning on a major strike against a few civilian centers around the globe. Looking back now, I realize that what they were doing was something of a test run for _Obshchego Vraga_, just to see if they could coordinate it that well. Long story short, I stopped them with the information I'd gathered, that being the first time I worked, however indirectly, with government agencies to take down an operation of theirs. Though my mission was...successful...it…"

"Changed you," Hawk finished with an understanding nod.

"Yeah," Caden whispered out, his gaze pained and distant, likely reliving an agonizing memory from those days. "He once slaughtered an entire Tuscan village just to make a point. Stole, murdered, pillaged. He wasn't above any form of depravity. And…" Caden let out a shuddering breath, leaning against a nearby concrete slab heavily. "And he once told me to torture an innocent man. Just...for the sheer hell of it. Didn't even want to interrogate him. Asked no questions." Caden's hands covered his face and ran through his hair in shame. "And because I needed to keep his trust to bring him down...I did it." When the kid looked up at his friends, he saw Kara's eyes red and watering over and Hawk just staring at him with an unreadable expression.

Caden collapsed onto the cold concrete floor of the factory, sitting shakily and leaning forward, head in his hands at the recollection of every detail, every sound, smell, and scream as he slowly, agonizingly wrung the life out of the man. Eidetic memory was a great blessing to him, especially when the clock was running and the success of the mission depended on him pulling a random memory out of nowhere and using it to save the day, but at times like this, it was his greatest curse. The ability to relive every memory he'd ever had in perfect detail, free of bias and alteration. A double-edged sword if he'd ever seen one.

"I know," a slightly accented voice said from a distant entrance. Every eye snapped in its direction, and mixed expressions fell upon the three. Hawk stared at him with rage, Kara with teared loathing, and Caden with what looked like shocked neutrality. "I remember."

The Autobot charged at the sadistic, smiling man, forgetting instantly the ban on harming humans to pop his right sword and swing it at Carmine. The blow never landed, though, as the roof tore open when Hawk was fifteen feet from his target, Skywarp's hulking, much taller figure landing on Hawk's arm, pinning him to the factory floor. The Autobot groaned in pain, drawing his left gauss pistol before Skywarp kicked it out of his grasp and smashed his fist into his prone opponent's helm. Hawk was in stasis lock before he realized what had happened, and Skywarp stepped off his limp arm to see the blade retract into his subspace. He disarmed Hawk of his guns mere seconds later as Caden and Kara made a break for it.

The moment they got outside, however, they found themselves surrounded by SUVs filled with Carmine's soldiers and knew it was over.

…

Five minutes later

Caden struggled with his bonds vainly, testing them as he tried to find a way out of his chair. Hawk was still unconscious and being held down by Skywarp in case he awakened. Kara was in a similar predicament as Drake, also strapped to a chair and awaiting whatever Carmine had planned for them. _Speak of the devil, _Caden thought as the man himself stepped into view, ascending to the platform Caden was seated on, with Kara downstairs not twenty feet from an inactive Hawk.

"You," Carmine said with a mocking smile, "are a very hard man to find." His prisoner just stared forward blankly, his expression neutral, not even acknowledging the man's presence. "I can see why Raden respected you." Still no reaction. "I suppose you're wondering what I'm doing with this dear friend of mine," he continued, pointing at Skywarp absently. "The answer is quite simple. The enemy of my enemy…" he started, leaning his hands on the arms of Caden's chair, getting up in his face, "...is my friend." Still getting no reaction, he leaned back and started pacing around him. "You and the Autobots have been busy, _old friend_." Caden gave a near-indiscernible wince at the phrase. "Scouring the world for my new allies, taking on 'big bads' like Shockwave. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were actually enjoying this alien war."

He stared at Caden's still-impassive expression and smirked. "But I _do _know better. I know that you don't relish the thought of all that death and destruction. That's why you're going to help me." The prisoner blinked twice rapidly, but kept his absent stare and expression. "See, I'm going to help them end this war, here, on Earth, before it gets any worse. All I need is a little inside intel, you see." Pausing again, Carmine started to notice a slight narrowing of Caden's eyes as he no doubt realized his drift. "I want access to NEST's intelligence network. Everything. Do that, and I let all of you go. Well, all except the Autobot, anyway, and I know you don't care about him nearly as much as you do your pet girl."

Caden narrowed his eyes further and could see Kara snarl at Carmine in his peripheral vision, his own focus constant on the wall in the distance as his hands strained constantly against his bonds. Carmine leaned on the arms of the chair again, and Caden wished the zip-ties would break already so he could wipe that smirk off the man's smug face.

"I'm giving you one chance to settle this, Caden. One chance…" he drew a pistol and aimed it at Kara, "...or she dies." Carmine stared at Caden, the spy's eyes meeting his for the first time in their conversation, his cruel lips turning upward at finally getting a reaction from his old enemy. Despite this, the boy stayed silent. "What, no trademark 'go to hell'? No words of impotent defiance?"

Caden sneered at him and actually smirked. "We're not there just yet."

Carmine blinked at the confident sound of his voice and wondered at it before speaking. "Oh? And what will it take?"

"You. Actually being smart about this. If you kill her, I will _never_ give you what you want."

"That's assuming I don't find some other leverage to use against you."

Caden snarled at him. "You won't have the time before I break out and wring your idiotic little neck."

Carmine actually laughed at that, bending over at the waist and bowing to him mockingly. "Bravo," he mocked, straightening himself out. "I'm intimidated." Immediately after saying this, he raised the pistol and fired a single shot into Kara's right shoulder. Stripped of her vest, the bullet entered easily, causing her to scream in pain and jolt against the seat, furiously yanking at her bonds in panic. Carmine looked back at Caden to see exactly the reaction he was hoping for, noting the wide eyes and panicked expression on his face. "You know what Raden told me once? He said, 'The key stone of our lives is the one we hold the closest.'" He leaned in close to Caden's ear. "I think I just found yours. Ready to do business now?"

When Caden's eyes tore themselves from Kara's whimpering form and turned to Carmine's smug grin, his face twisted into an enraged, loathing mask and he leaned forward as far as his bonds would let him, hissing out the next three words. "Go. To. Hell."

Carmine shrugged and raised the gun again, firing another shot into her left arm, eliciting another shriek from the restrained girl. "Caden," he said with a mocking smile, "she needs you to talk. She's begging you here."

"Go to hell, _go to hell_!" the spy roared out in rage and frustration, every fiber of his body fighting his bonds now as he glanced at Kara in desperation. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm himself. _Carmine knows he needs her alive, so he shot her in places where she won't bleed out quickly. Amazon will keep her alive, I just need to… _Carmine raised the gun again and Caden's eyes went wide. "Wait, wait, wait! Stop!" He gave out a few more heavy breaths as the terrorist looked at him quizzically. "It can't be done." Carmine's eyes narrowed in disbelief and his finger tightened around the trigger. "No, damn it, I'm telling you, it_ can't _be done! The only way I ever hacked in was by finding a hardline server in one of their bases, there's no other way to do it!" Carmine's expression was unreadable. "Please, I swear it's the truth, please…"

"I don't believe you." He fired once more, and Caden didn't even bother to look where it hit, he just released the furious roar that had been building, rage and adrenaline giving almost superhuman strength to his muscles as he snapped the zip-ties on his wrists with sheer force and tackled the hateful man in front of him.

"I-will-_kill_-_you_!" Caden roared, smashing his gun hand against the metal edge of the platform and beating his face mercilessly.

Skywarp made a move to stop him, temporarily forgetting about his true assignment, and that absent action cost him, as Hawk's left sword stabbed painfully into the back of his left knee, bringing him down onto it as the Autobot flipped over the Con, drop-kicking him in the face on his way down and hand-springing toward Caden and Carmine. The former had his hands around the latter's throat with an expression of murderous rage on his face, and Hawk glanced to the door of the factory's loading dock to see several terrorist SUVs on their way in. Quickly and carefully slashing Kara's bonds, he gingerly picked her up in one hand and reached for Caden when the boy shouted him off.

"Go! Get her out of here!" The turn of Caden's head and attention was enough for a badly beaten Carmine to grapple him off and kick him dead-center. The kid barely gave off a grunt before charging the man again. Hawk turned toward Skywarp to see him slowly regaining his footing and teetered on the edge between staying to fight and obeying Caden's order. "Please!" Seeing the half-enraged, half-pained expression on his face, Hawk immediately saw himself in the boy, ready to break down completely over the pain of someone he loved, and he knew the spy wouldn't be able to bear the death of his friend.

Nodding stiffly, the Bot transformed and dropped Kara gently into his passenger seat, a seatbelt gingerly strapping her in tight as she moaned in pain from three gunshot wounds. As he screeched out of the warehouse with two enemy SUVs in hot pursuit, Hawk ran a quick scan over her, recycling his energon in relief as he realized that not only were the wounds nonfatal, but her enhanced body, much like Caden's, was already pushing the bullets out. He got around six blocks from the warehouse, easily losing his human pursuers before Kara piped up.

"We need to go back," she groaned out. "We need to go back _now_."

"No," Hawk said authoritatively. "We're outnumbered, outgunned, and Caden told me to get you to safety."

"I don't care what he said! He's an idiot!"

A quick look at the brunette's face, into her dark, pained eyes was enough to tell him that she was exclaiming all this in desperation. "Idiot or no, he will _kill me_ if I let you come to harm. Like I said, we are outnumbered, outgunned, and you're in no condition to fight."

"Oh yeah," she asked with a sneer, reaching into one of her wounds with a scowl and painfully yanking a bullet out. "Watch me."

"Kara…"

"No. He is my friend, and I am not willing to let him die. If you are, then you should be ashamed to have ever called him yours."

A shudder passed through Hawk's system as he realized she was right. Not only did he feel a massive urge to go back for the human, but Caden was his charge, his duty. If he neglected that following the human's orders...he could never forgive himself. "Damn it all. We can't just go in there blind, with no backup."

"Carmine's got an army of my father's old soldiers. Surprise is our only advantage. We need to get in, out, and away before anyone has time to react."

"Yeah, well, that'll be kind of difficult with Skywarp there. You seem to be forgetting he can teleport. No matter where we go, he'll catch up to us."

Kara exhaled raggedly and heavily, despair setting in as they drove along smoothly, both trying desperately to come up with a plan. "You're right. We'd need a frickin' army."

Suddenly, the Lambo came to a stop, and Kara looked out the front windshield at what had stopped him. "I think," the Bot started, "I know just where to find one." In front of the immobile car was a squadron of vehicles bearing the symbol of Kara's organization, and Trevor Korde sat in the driver's seat of the lead.

The two humans' eyes locked for a moment before Korde gave her a slow, determined nod as she shuffled into the driver's seat and set her expression, ignoring the blood trail across the upholstery as she gripped the wheel and shifter. Her hands moved at lightning speed, and the car did an about-face almost instantly under her experienced hands as she sped back to the factory, the convoy of Keystone vehicles in tight formation behind her.

…

Caden recoiled from another sharp snap-kick to his abdomen. _He's been practicing,_ he thought with a snarl as he charged back in, exchanging blows with Carmine at this point as the entirety of his force, Skywarp included, looked on. Caden kicked the terrorist off the platform and leapt off after him, chasing him to a nearby wall and slamming his foot into it with a kick when Carmine twisted out of the way. The terrorist brandished a knife, and his opponent scowled at him furiously when he saw it. _That's not yours to wield, scum!_ Feinting a lunge, Caden ducked and twisted out of the way of a diagonal slash, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting his arm sharply, eliciting a yelp and causing him to drop the blade into Drake's open hand.

The spy stabbed Carmine in the right leg and yanked the Cybertanium blade out, swinging for his jugular to finish him off when a giant metal hand carried him off his feet and tossed him across the factory floor. He landed with several rough rolls, getting his bearings as Carmine limped toward his men and raised his hand.

"Kill him," the terrorist hissed out, swinging his hand downward for emphasis as the veritable firing squad took aim.

Caden didn't even have time to think before an explosion tore through the sheet metal wall behind them, revealing a series of vans and SUVs charging through the hole. _Saved by the Keystone. _He almost laughed at the irony of it before charging at a stunned Carmine and tackling him to the ground.

…

Hawk entered the hole with a roar, transforming and letting Kara out as gently as possible as he slammed feet-first into Skywarp's massive bulk, the 30-foot Con easily dwarfing him. It didn't matter. _He will fall like all the others, _the Bot thought darkly as he drew his blades and slashed away at Skywarp's extended and weaponized arm. The blade cut through some of the outer armor and nicked at the more sensitive metal skin inside, causing a sharp Cybertronian curse and hiss to come from the wounded Seeker. After a few more swings, Skywarp decided enough was enough and teleported behind Hawk, grabbing him by the head and throwing him across the large factory. As he scrambled to his feet and rolled away from an incoming missile, he saw Caden taking on Carmine, knife-to-knife, his form impeccable and reflexes lightning-fast.

_He'll be okay,_ the Autobot reminded himself as he charged back at Skywarp with renewed vigor. The Con and him exchanged blows for twenty seconds before the smaller robot was thrown back again, Skywarp raising his missile launcher and aiming straight for Hawk's chest. An RPG slammed into the Con's left knee, impacting at the same damaged spot from before and causing him to collapse again.

"Hawk!" Kara screamed from his right.

The Bot turned to see her on an upper catwalk, hands on a rail as she double-kicked his gauss pistols down to him. Smiling confidently, Hawk did a somersault and caught them both midair, firing two shots into Skywarp's lower chest and left shoulder before having a machine gun round from the Con's main gun knock one out of his left hand. The Bot drew his left blade and threw it directly into the Seeker's right shoulder, preventing him from unleashing any more automatic fire and closing in for the kill when he saw Skywarp's attention diverted. When an evil grin blossomed on the Con's face, Hawk turned toward the object of his focus and saw Carmine sprinting away from a still-furious Caden, with a substantial 12-foot lead on him. Turning back to the Con, Hawk saw him raise his near-crippled left arm and missile launcher.

And point it at Caden.

Hawk's optics widened in realization, and he lurched toward his human charge as Skywarp fired.

"No!" the guardian yelled in desperation as both he and the missile flew toward Caden.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Kara and Trevor looked on, seeing it all unfold in front of them, but unable to stop it. What felt like hours later, Hawk's body landed directly between Caden and the missile-and took its full impact. The Autobot let out an agonized yell as the explosion tore a sizeable hole in his lower chassis, the shrapnel from the missile barely missing his spark. Caden turned toward his guardian, staring on with wide eyes at both his courage and critical condition before turning to Carmine and diving toward his fallen gun, rolling on impact with the ground and rising to his feet, weapon in hand as he leveled the sights of the weapon on the grinning terrorist.

The smile vanished as Carmine's eyes widened in realization and his body tensed as three shots tore into him, one in his left shoulder, the other two his abdomen. Turning to the gloating Con, who was leaning over Hawk, a clenched fist ready to crush the Bot's spark, Caden spoke sharply.

"Him, or Carmine." Skywarp turned to him, dumbstruck. "You kill him, Carmine dies, and then _we_ kill _you_."

The Con looked around, seeing his previous rogue Keystone backup either dead or captured and a sizeable amount of firepower leveled in his direction from Caden's human allies.

"What's it gonna be, Con?" Caden scowled at him, secretly praying that Skywarp would be, as Hawk said, "idiotic and broken" enough to take his offer. He wasn't disappointed.

Rising off Hawk's prone and rapidly blacking-out body, the injured Seeker strode over to Carmine's limp, bleeding form and picked him up, raising his launcher at the ceiling and firing once to make a hole before transforming and jetting away with his human cargo. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Caden sprinted over to his fallen partner and gingerly laid a hand on his arm.

"Hawk," he choked out painfully, "Hawk, can you hear me?"

The Bot wheezed, blue energon leaking out of his chest and his body sealing off certain circulatory valves to compensate. "Yeah, kid, I'm...I'm here."

Caden's breath became labored as he felt more panic and adrenaline rush through his system. "We-we're gonna get you outta here, okay? Just hang tight."

Hawk nodded painfully. "I know. My-my body's goin' into stasis lock. It'll keep me alive long enough...to make it...to Ratchet."

Caden nodded hurriedly and motioned to Trevor. "Korde, get me a flatbed truck with a tarp, as soon as_ inhumanly _possible!" Without argument, the captain rushed off with two of his men to do just that, and Caden turned back to his wounded guardian. "You...you took that missile...for me."

"C-course I did. It's my...my...duty," he managed to breathe out before his body shut down in stasis lock, all energon valves except the most critical closing off, keeping all available fuel to keep his spark running.

Caden exhaled hard and kept panting, sinking to his knees and leaning against the Bot's immobile form heavily, everything in him giving out. He could feel the gentle touch of Kara's hand on his shoulder before passing out.

…

2 hours later

Caden stood on the runway of Kara's private landing strip in Kiev, watching as the Keystone agents loaded Hawk's comatose body onto her hybrid plane. His own injuries were insignificant by comparison, even to Kara's, although now that her bullet wounds were patched up and their causes out of her body, the injuries had already started to scab up. The girl in question strode over to him from behind and laid her left hand on his arm comfortingly. After a long, thoughtful silence, he spoke, turning to her.

"He took that missile for me."

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Why?"

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why? It was his duty, his job. He needed to protect you, no matter what."

He shook his head, exhaling sharply. "No, I mean, why did he jump between us? He's more than skilled enough to have just shot Skywarp's arm, redirected his aim. That would've damaged Skywarp, gotten me out of danger, and prevented him from getting injured, so why didn't he do it? Why did he opt for sacrifice over efficiency?"

"Logic," Kara said softly, "is most often the last thing on a person's mind when someone they care about is in danger."

"And yet, I don't think that's it."

She looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. "How could you possibly say that? He's your friend."

"Yeah, well," he said bitterly, "he's also my guardian, and, like you so astutely pointed out, it's his job to keep me safe." He stared at the plane, scowling, though at what exactly he wasn't sure. "It's not the way he handled things the _last_ time I was in danger."

"You self-centered, ungrateful bastard." Caden's eyes snapped to Kara's angry, pained expression as she said this. "How could you possibly say something like that about him?"

Caden looked away and felt his face heat up in shame. "I-I don't know. I'm just so...angry at him."

"What," she asked in an accusatory tone, "for handling things differently?"

"No, for risking his life for mine unnecessarily."

Again, Kara gave him the two-headed look. He sighed heavily.

"I'm pissed that he nearly got himself killed for me."

"Why," the girl asked incredulously.

"I don't know. I-I just don't know." His gaze went to the floor, and he just stood there, fists clenched until Kara's gentle left hand was felt against his right. He loosened up as she interlaced her fingers with his.

"He'll be okay," she said, understanding exactly what had caused his anger. "You'll get him back to his medic, who'll fix him up in no time, and he'll be just fine."

He nodded resignedly, both at her statement and what he was about to do. "Kara," he started softly, almost mournfully, turning to her and holding her arms in his hands, "I have a price on my head." He looked into her intense dark eyes and forced himself to continue. "You have the Keystone, and I have NEST. We...we're going in different directions, and until both pursuits are accomplished, I don't think...I don't think…" His resolve faltered at the tearful, knowing expression on her face. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I don't think we can be together."

A small sob escaped the tall brunette's lips as she just stared at him in disbelief.

"I need you to understand. Do you?"

Kara bit her lower lip, expression twisted in pain, desperately trying not to cry. "Yes," she said softly, knowing if she tried to speak any more, she'd break down completely. She pulled him close, embracing him tightly as he kept talking.

"You know I love you, but...you deserve someone who understands and can be there for you whenever you need him, not just during a crisis or on the occasion. And, right now…that's just not me."

"I know," she choked out, "but who..._could_ it be?" Her red-tinged eyes met his, and they stared at each other, her dark irises mirroring his.

"Korde," he said suddenly and firmly.

Her eyes widened and she did a double-take. "Korde? As in Captain Korde?" Caden nodded slowly. "But...he's Keystone. Why would you ever approve-?"

"I wouldn't...ordinarily. But, I see the way he looks at you, and, whether you realize it or not, you look at him." He paused and thought for a moment before continuing. "He seems like a genuinely good man, and he clearly likes you, so...why not?"

She stared at him, trying to see if he was being sarcastic, and narrowed her eyes when she found he wasn't. "Who are you and what have you done with Caden Drake?"

And with that, Caden laughed uproariously, easily, causing a small chuckle and smile to come from Kara in response. "I'm still here, love. Just...different." He kept smiling at her even after he stopped laughing, a gentle but impossibly warm expression that reminded her of the first day they'd met and made her want him all over again.

Biting her lip, she looked into his eyes again. "I like this kind of different. It...it looks good on you."

He smiled a bit wider before pressing his lips to her forehead, causing her to shiver slightly in response and close her eyes, the built-up tears spilling out of them as they drew away from each other. "Goodbye, Kara. I love you."

"I love you too, Cade." She looked on as he walked toward the plane and ascended the cargo ramp to check on Hawk with Korde.

…

"Captain!"

Trevor Korde turned to the speaker and nodded respectfully, striding over to Drake standing before him in parade rest. "Sir, your partner has been loaded and secured, and the plane's ready for takeoff."

Caden nodded slowly, suddenly seeming more interested in the man standing before him than his Autobot guardian. "Understood." Drake breathed in deeply and exhaled as deeply before speaking again. "Look...I know we're not friends. We...didn't exactly get off on the right foot, me and the Keystone. I've taken a lot from you and your comrades, just as much if not more than you've taken from me, but...I hope that we can at least be allies, and not just for Kara's sake." He extended his hand to the captain, who looked at it suspiciously for a moment before extending his own and shaking it.

"Agreed, sir. You seem like a good man."

Caden winced a little at that. "No, I'm not good." He sighed. "Not by a long shot."

"_She_ doesn't seem to think so," Korde said with a nod at Kara.

Drake looked back longingly and stared at her for a second. "Yeah," he said dreamily, "well, she's always seen the best in me." He turned back to the captain. "The best in _everyone_-including you." Caden saw Korde's eyes blink fast. "If it had been up to me, the whole lot of you would be either in prison or unmarked graves, but...she made a different call." Caden breathed in deeply. "And I'm glad." Trevor seemed to look at him in disbelief as he said something equally shocking. "She likes you, and you her. Don't even _try_ to deny it," he said, cutting the captain off as he opened his mouth to dispute the claim.

"Just," Caden continued, "hell. There are only two things I need to know with regards to Kara in order for me to feel satisfied. I need to know she's safe, and I need to know she's happy. From what I've seen, you can provide both...and have been since you've been working together." Korde pressed his lips together nervously, but didn't dispute it. "So what's been stopping you from taking it further?"

The captain thought for a moment before speaking. "Age difference," he spat out way too fast. "I'm six years older than her."

Caden snickered and gave him an amused look. "Excuse my French, but, _bull—shit_." Korde's face reddened slightly. "You stayed away because of me, didn't you?" The gaping expression on the captain's face and the way he blushed even more told him a definite yes. "Well...don't let it hold you back anymore. She...she needs a better man than me right now. A constant. Someone who'll care for her when she's feeling hurt, and you can't do that with thousands of miles between you. So...you have my blessing."

Trevor gave out an audible sigh of relief as his reddened face returned to its normal color. "Th-thank you sir. I promise you won't regret this. I'll-"

Caden raised a hand to quiet him. "Just...keep her safe and keep her happy, s'all I ask."

Korde nodded and actually smiled at him before biting his lower lip and staring out the loading ramp at a distracted Kara, clearly on "cloud nine" as he confidently strode toward the exit, Caden walking in the opposite direction for a moment before he stopped and turned around.

"Korde," he called, striding toward the man in question, "one more thing." The captain spun around, unable to contain his excitement, and faced Caden with a questioning expression as the younger spy clamped his right hand down on the man's right shoulder and spoke directly in his ear. Drake's iron grip was so tight, he actually saw the bulky man wince in pain. "You break her heart," Caden started flippantly, a clearly fake and strangely intimidating smile coming to his face as he looked the man in the eye, "I break you." He was smiling widely, an action that unnerved the captain much more than if he had scowled, if the way his face completely drained of color was any indication. "Do we understand each other?"

"Y-yes sir," Korde stuttered out.

"Good!" Caden said flippantly, releasing his grip and allowing blood to flow back into his right arm as he patted the shoulder gently. "Then we'll be great friends someday." Leaving the gaping captain standing halfway down the ramp, Caden strode toward the plane's cockpit and entered, taking the copilot's seat and putting on his headset as the pilot eyed him warily. "Commence takeoff," Caden said sharply and professionally.

"Yes sir," the pilot responded in the same manner.

Before he knew it, Caden felt the plane take off and jet into the sky, turning westward toward the States and Hawk's much-needed Autobot medic. Exhaustion claiming his body, Drake dozed off before he knew it, the last thought on his mind that of peace at both his closest friend and his Autobot guardian, suddenly feeling in his gut that everything would turn out all right.

* * *

AN:

In case you were wondering what Caden's trademark guns look like, here are the links to some images I found on Google. I don't own any of these, I just thought they looked cool and were very accurate to what I had envisioned.

Sig Sauer .45: . ; Think of this, except with a chrome slide and Caden's signature engraved on both sides of it.

A-91 Daggertail: . ; This is how I always envisioned the Daggertail, except the red dot scope is further back, right above the casing release port. You'll find that I use a lot of weapons featured in Resident Evil, and that's no coincidence. I just think a lot of their kit is kind of badass.

Cybertanium Knife: ; This, except the back edge, as mentioned in a previous chapter, is only sharp a third of the way down from the tip. This may change in later chapters as Caden irons out his preferences with Que. Yes, this is the knife Leon uses in Resident Evil 4, and yes, I'm a fan. I'm very eclectic with my entertainment. Sue me. :P

PS: Since the links don't seem to be making it through FanFiction's stupid editing software, PM me if you want to see what I mean about the weapons, and I'll send you the link. As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Captain America: the Winter Soldier - Lemurian Star: Attack on the warehouse


	7. Small Peace in a Time of War

Before he knew it, Caden felt the plane take off and jet into the sky, turning westward toward the States and Hawk's much-needed Autobot medic. Exhaustion claiming his body, Drake dozed off before he knew it, the last thought on his mind that of peace at both his closest friend and his Autobot guardian, suddenly feeling in his gut that everything would turn out all right.

…

18 hours later

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

8 months after the death of the Fallen

"Will he make it?"

Ratchet turned to the insistent boy at his side with an annoyed roll of his optics. "I would know if you would stop asking and let me work."

Caden kept pacing back and forth, the soft taps of his boots against the concrete floor of the medbay almost enough to drive the Autobot medic off the wall. Forcing himself to ignore the annoyance, Ratchet pulled apart Hawk's chest plates to inspect the damage and found the Bot's insides dented and shredded everywhere except the immediate area around his spark chamber.

"Primus almighty, boy, what _did_ you get him into?"

Caden turned to him, glaring sharply. "Excuse me," he asked, his voice lowering dangerously. "What did _I_ get him into? Nothing. He was just 'doing his job,' like a moron." Caden gave an exasperated sigh and sneered at the old Bot, putting his hands on his hips. "See, I _told_ him to run. I fricking _told _him to get to safety! But no...he had to come back and jump between me and a frigging missile, _like a moron_!"

Ratchet turned from his work and stared at the boy, his blue optics glaring at him even if his face didn't show it. So, when the yellow-and-red mech picked up the nearest wrench and threw it at his head, only his finely honed and enhanced reflexes saved him from being knocked unconscious and waking up with one hell of a headache. "Out," the Bot said sternly and authoritatively. Snarling at the medic one last time and huffing in self-frustration, he did so, fists clenched the whole way out.

…

Optimus Prime's optics picked up sudden movement from the exit of the NEST medbay, and he turned his head to see the Consultant storming out. When he caught sight of the Autobot leader, he slowed his steps and took a deep breath, trying desperately to calm his frayed nerves. Running his fingers through his hair, he leaned against a nearby wall as Optimus walked over to him and did the same.

"Mr. Drake."

"Optimus, please," Drake said, agitated, "call me Caden. I don't-" He exhaled again, focusing on restoring his calm. "It's just Caden."

The 32-foot Bot nodded and crossed his arms, gazing at the human intently. "He could not be in better hands," the Prime said after a long pause.

"I-I know." Caden laughed bitterly. "The grumpiest doctors usually are the best."

"I heard a clang earlier. Did he-"

"Throw a wrench at my head?" He looked up at Optimus and grinned. "With pinpoint precision. If I didn't have my Achilles reflexes, we wouldn't be having this conversation and Ratchet would have another, much grumpier patient in his medbay."

Optimus chuckled softly. "Yes, my old friend does have a tendency for...unusual 'bedside manner.'"

"Understatement of the friggin' century, if you ask me. Although I guess he's had a lot longer than that to form it."

"True. Long years and a long war can produce...unforeseen results." A long silence passed between them as Optimus looked at his small form, usually erect and proud, now sullen and almost slouched. The look on his face told him everything he needed to know about the boy's state of mind. "You blame yourself for his injuries."

Caden looked up at him, almost glaring, not in anger but in barely restrained anguish. "Yes. I'm the one he took that shot for, and I keep playing it over and over in my head, trying to figure out a way he could've avoided all that while still saving me. I mean, he could've tackled Skywarp, or shot his gun, or…"

"Sometimes," Optimus cut in, crouching in front of Caden, "there is no way out. He performed his duties as he saw necessary, and I can assure you, he did not regret it. He will not when he wakes, either." Caden looked at him skeptically, restraining angry tears. "Believe me, young one, when I say that I know much about guilt. When this war began, I tried to convince Megatron that violence was not the right path, that only diplomacy would bring about the outcome he wanted." Optimus shook his head mournfully. "But he would not listen, and for many a cycle, I wondered if I could have convinced him another way. If, by trying harder, or bringing another argument to bear, that I might have prevented the death of our world and the genocide of our people.

"For a time, I believed all of their lifeless sparks to be on my head, on my hands, but Ratchet, with perhaps his first throw of the wrench, knocked sense into me." Optimus wrapped his knuckles on the side of his helm for emphasis, and Caden gave him a small smile. "I realized later that the cause for Megatron's sudden fall was the ancient former Prime that I slew eight months ago in Egypt."

Caden's eyes widened in realization. "The Fallen."

Optimus nodded. "Indeed. He corrupted my friend with his teachings and filled his mind with dreams of conquest. By the time I attempted to dissuade him, the damage had already been done." With that, Optimus rose to his full height and looked down at the kid in an almost fatherly way. "So, you see, sometimes, often even, incidents that tear at our consciences, that keep us from recharging peacefully, are out of our control. The past is the past. You cannot change what has been done, only control what you do in the future, and how you make the best of your circumstances."

"I-" Caden sighed deeply. "Thank you, Prime. I...I think I need some quiet. Just to...get away from it all for a bit."

Optimus smiled. "I believe I can help." The red-and-blue Prime transformed into his Peterbilt form and revved his engine invitingly while opening his passenger door.

Caden smiled and climbed in gingerly, seating himself and pulling on his seatbelt as he looked out the window absently. "Thank you, Optimus." The engine simply rumbled in response. "Do you mind if I-?" The boy pointed at the window control.

"Not at all."

The window lowered as Optimus drove seamlessly through the crowded streets of Washington, crossing the bridge into Virginia and coasting along the edge of the Potomac. The setting sun sent blazing orange and red light across the surface of the water. Caden stared at it absently, admiring the gentle beauty of the sunset and the way it was reflected and distorted on the surface of the murky water. As promised, Optimus was silent unless Drake spoke to him first, which he didn't for nearly twenty minutes as they cruised along the forested road, through areas Caden didn't recognize and didn't care to analyze. For once, he just stopped thinking so hard and focused on the natural beauty around him, the green almost overwhelming as the new Spring leaves adorned the recently reborn trees. Once or twice, he saw a cherry blossom that had yet to fall, and the roads and grasses were littered with dead petals.

Truly, Optimus was enjoying this ride, as his responsibilities as leader of the Autobots oftentimes prevented him from truly enjoying the beauties this planet had to offer. Caden was a pleasant passenger, neither loud nor annoyed, just...peaceful. Thoughtful. If he was to be honest, the Prime was reminded of himself whenever he looked at the boy. At least, he was reminded of his days as Orion Pax, when there was no war and he could afford to look out on the magnificent vistas of Cybertron, enjoying the way the light of his world's sun played along the crisp metal surface of his home. Being with Caden now brought back many pleasant memories, and he made a silent promise to himself that he would endeavor to do this again, alone if necessary, but he knew he could not keep himself in the NEST base without variation. He had to, as the humans would say, "get out more."

"Optimus," Caden said finally, "how did you know I felt guilty about Hawk?"

The engine's rumble changed subtly, and Caden knew the Prime was thinking. "The same way I knew that you felt guilty about the human deaths the day we first met." The boy's eyes flashed genuine surprise for a moment. "You take each death personally, don't you?"

Caden looked down, his peaceful expression turning mournful again. "Only when I'm responsible. Those people died because Megatron wanted me dead...or maybe he didn't. I just don't know anymore."

"Caden," Optimus said softly, "you cannot blame yourself for the actions of another. The Decepticons who willfully slaughtered humans that day are responsible for their deaths, just as Skywarp is responsible for Hawk's current predicament. You did not see either incident coming beforehand, and so you cannot reasonably be held accountable for their occurrences." He could tell Caden was wavering on the edge of tears.

"I...I need him to wake up. I've been...unconsciously distant toward him these past few months. I think he noticed, and...I think throwing himself in front of that missile was his stupidly heroic way of atoning for almost letting the Decepticons take me."

The truck screeched to a stop as Optimus heard the words. "He did...what?"

Caden laid a hand on his dashboard calmingly. "Optimus, it's not what you think." The boy sighed. "He saw my capture as an opportunity to trace Sideways back to Megatron and, with your help, end him and the war once and for all. He realized later that it was stupid and one-tracked. There were so many others ways that could have gone, most of them involving my death before you guys even arrived. And since we still have _no_ idea what the hell Megatron wants with me, he understood that under no circumstances could we let the Decepticons have their way." Caden could feel the cabin around him relax, and noticed the walls had constricted slightly before his explanation. Drake sighed heavily, exasperated. "He felt that he owed me, and I'm afraid that he nearly killed himself paying that debt, even if I _told_ him I didn't hold it against him."

"I see," Optimus said thoughtfully, gently pushing on the accelerator and driving off again, making a u-turn to get back to NEST. One hour and another scenic route later, they had arrived, and Caden dismounted from Optimus' cab as the massive Bot transformed.

"So," Caden said, hands in his pockets, "thank you for that. I...I really enjoyed the drive."

"Thank you for allowing me to keep you company. I enjoyed it as well."

They stood silently for a few minutes, perfectly content with it until a very haggard-looking Ratchet hobbled out of the medbay. Caden instantly stood up straight from his leaning position and walked in the medic's direction, stopping halfway and looking up at him expectantly.

"How is he," the boy asked.

Ratchet shook his head with a smirk. "He'll be fine. A few major energon lines were ruptured, but there was still enough left to work with that he pulled through. The stasis lock likely saved his life."

Caden exhaled heavily in relief, panting a few times as it washed through his system. "That's...that's great news." He bit his lip and paced around a few times. "Is he awake?"

Ratchet shook his head firmly. "No, and I expect he won't be for another week or so at least." The medic's optics softened at the way Caden's face whitened, and his hands raised slightly in reassurance. "Trust me, he'll be just fine. It's normal for that to happen with that much trauma. In the meantime, you'll be assigned a temporary guardian and sent home, if you so desire."

Optimus looked down at Caden and noticed the boy looked torn. Half of him wanted to stay as moral support for his friend, but his practical half was slowly succumbing to jet lag and a massive lack of sleep, practically screaming at him to rest. Eventually, practicality broke through.

"Yeah, uh, I...I think I'll go home. Who'd you have in mind, Ratch?"

The medic's mouth opened slightly, but no words came out, as he honestly hadn't thought the stubborn boy would assent to leaving. Noticing his dilemma, Optimus spoke up.

"I will stay with you tonight."

Caden's eyes went wide as he stared up at the huge Bot. "Optimus...I-I can't-I-I don't wanna impose…"

Prime chuckled and shook his head slowly. "It is no trouble, my young friend. It would seem there is little for either of to do here at the moment." With that, he gave Ratchet a nod and crouched down, extending the flat of his hand and allowing Caden to drowsily climb on. He walked the boy to the exit before slowly transforming, allowing his soon-to-be passenger to watch as his parts shifted and laid him gently in his cab. On the long drive back to the Sudley house, Optimus noted Caden's tendency to nod off for a second before forcing himself back awake. "You need not stay online, boy. I can take it from here."

Caden nodded drowsily and leaned back in his seat before taking a quick look into the back and noticing the trucker cot. "Optimus, do you mind if I—"

The Bot noticed his gaze and rumbled gently. "Not at all." The boy's seat shifted down slightly, allowing him room to climb in the back and settle onto the mattress. The moment his head hit the pillow, Caden was out, and Optimus smiled to himself. Upon arriving at the Consultant's three-story home, he contemplated using his holoform to carry Drake to his bed, but decided against it, as the house was no doubt locked and secured, and he didn't want to wake his sleeping charge. Instead, he turned off his engine after backing into the boy's garage and closed the door with his holoform, dismissing it and settling down in recharge for the night, his young charge sleeping with a far more peaceful expression than he had ever seen pass his face.

* * *

AN: Three chapters in the space of 30 hours. Gotta be a new record for me.

This chapter was a bit of filler suggested to me by my ever-inspiring reviewer, Answerthecall. Kandosii, ner vod, and thank you for the idea. I wanted to portray Optimus as something of a caring father figure toward Caden, since the kid hasn't had that since he was ten years old, and bring him into the story a bit more, since later chapters will feature Optimus to a much heavier degree. The next few chapters will introduce or go into further depth on some other major characters in the movieverse, establishing some of the long-term relationships that Caden will have with the Autobots and anyone related to them. As always, please review and recommend, and let me know if you want to see different Transformer match-ups in the immediate chapters. There are four months between this one and the next major story arc, so I have a lot of filler to write.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers the Score - Optimus: Prime's conversation and drive with Caden


	8. Musings and Meetings

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Mudflap

Skids

Que/Wheeljack

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Dreadwing

Read my profile for an explanation of this list, and PM or review with suggestions.

...

The boy's seat shifted down slightly, allowing him room to climb in the back and settle onto the mattress. The moment his head hit the pillow, Caden was out, and Optimus smiled to himself. Upon arriving at the Consultant's three-story home, he contemplated using his holoform to carry Drake to his bed, but decided against it, as the house was no doubt locked and secured, and he didn't want to wake his sleeping charge. Instead, he turned off his engine after backing into the boy's garage and closed the door with his holoform, dismissing it and settling down in recharge for the night, his young charge sleeping with a far more peaceful expression than he had ever seen pass his face.

…

Next morning

Sudley, VA

8 months after the death of the Fallen

The first thing Caden was aware of as he woke was the feeling of an unfamiliar bed. That in itself was not much of a surprise, as he barely took notice of it, but as he warily opened his eyes and leaned upright to a seating position, he was immediately aware of a near-blinding glare from the rising sun. _Funny, _he mused, _I thought I installed a window in my room that could counter that._ That was when he realized that he was A: in a truck, and B: just outside his garage. The engine was running, and the familiar rumble sent all the memories of the previous night rushing back.

"Optimus," he asked the vehicle groggily.

"I am here, young one."

Caden smiled and laid on his back, hands behind his head as a pillow, and stared up at the cab's ceiling peacefully, turning on his side to watch the sunrise. "Did I sleep in here all night?"

"Yes, and quite peacefully, if I might add."

The boy yawned widely and sat up again, rearranging the mattress and pillow to their original positions before slowly climbing into the passenger seat. Pulling down the right-side light visor, he spotted his reflection in its mirror and stared at the dark, lopsided, bedraggled mess that was his hair, eyes wide as color flushed his cheeks.

"Are you all right," Optimus asked with concern, scanning the boy for any signs of injury or causes of distress.

"I—I'm fine. Just…" Caden grunted as he opened the passenger door and shakily descended to ground level, planting his feet and realizing he still had the same clothes from his fight with Carmine. "I need a shower and a haircut, then another shower. Preferably in that order."

"I will be here when you finish," Optimus said with certainty. "Might I...transform? Although this form is as natural to me as my bipedal mode, staying in one position can cause our equivalent of what you humans call cramps. Some movement is needed to 'keep the oil flowing,' you might say."

Caden smiled and nodded. "Go ahead. There's no one around here for miles. Probably why I chose this spot for my place. A 32-foot robot isn't gonna turn many heads." He chuckled. "You might scare the hell out of some pigeons, though."

With a whir of gears and metal, Optimus slowly got to his feet, swinging his arms gingerly and stretching his servos to get them lubricated and moving again. "My thanks," he said with a nod.

Caden nodded back and jogged to his front door, an entrance he didn't find himself using often anymore, since most times his only reason for leaving the house was to assist the Autobots and NEST, and Hawk was usually parked in his garage for the night. _Hawk, _he thought mournfully, his thoughts returning to the wounded Autobot sitting back on his medical slab at the base. _The Hatchet better take care of him, cause if he doesn't...let's just say he'll be throwing something a lot bigger than a wrench at what I'll do to him. _Leaving that grim thought behind, he climbed the two flights to the third floor and stumbled into his bathroom, peeling off his clothes and almost falling into the warm water. He gingerly pulled off his stuck bandages and washed his many cuts and bruises, many of which had looked much worse a day ago.

Climbing out with his wet hair clumped up in spots, he stared in annoyance as his wavy hair refused to brush even when soaked and eventually tossed the brush to the side, ignoring the aches of his recovering muscles to run down the hall and grab his electric hair cutters. He angrily set the machine to its shortest setting and drew it over his head, watching himself in the mirror absently as he settled into the familiar rote task of cutting his own hair, something he'd gotten used to doing since Kara's supposed death. The inch-long locks fell to the tiled floor of the bathroom in stubborn clumps, leaving the nineteen-year-old with barely a sixteenth of an inch of hair.

Running a hand through his extraordinarily short buzz cut, he mused that it was best he went to Ukraine before getting a haircut. _Nothing's worse than being stuck in the cold with no hair, especially if it rains. _Throwing on a pair of navy blue cargo pants and a gray v-neck t-shirt, Caden rapidly descended the stairs and strode outside to Optimus, who was admiring the sun from his viewpoint above the twenty-foot trees. When the Bot heard the rustling of Caden's shoes on the unkempt grass, he turned to his charge and looked intently at his near-bald head.

"Not a word," Caden said sternly, noticing his angle of vision, then breaking into a grin as Optimus chuckled. "May I," he asked, pointing up. The Bot nodded and crouched down, lowering his hand and allowing the kid to step on before drawing up to his full height and placing Caden on his shoulder. The boy leaned against his right exhaust pipe and crossed his arms as he too admired the rapidly accelerating sunrise.

"Beautiful, this world."

Caden glanced over at Optimus' head and nodded solemnly. "If only its occupants weren't such jackasses." He and Optimus shared a look before he turned back to face the sun. "Most of 'em, anyway."

Optimus blinked twice, optics still locked on the boy's regretful, almost bitter expression. "If the people of your world are truly so...terrible, why do you defend them?"

Caden snickered mirthlessly. "I could ask you the same thing. You're not even _from_ our world. You have no intrinsic ties to humanity, and yet you protect us. I at least have the excuse that I can't just let my species go extinct from its own stupidity, but...what reason could you possibly have to stay?"

Optimus looked at the trees—no, not at the trees, at the forest, and his gaze swept over the pink-tinged sky, taking in the full, breathtaking vista as he considered his response. "Your species is young and often foolish, true, but...I have seen goodness in you. Potential. The potential to rise above your hatreds and disputes and forge a future as one species. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, regardless of their inclinations, and all deserve the chance to change."

"Even the Decepticons?"

The Prime blinked and tightened his lips. "Yes, even them. It is also for that reason that I stay. As you have said, your species also has the potential to destroy itself. I would like to prevent that from happening as much as you, to prevent—"

"To prevent another Cybertron," Caden cut in.

Optimus looked at him and nodded slowly. "The deaths of my world and the majority of my species weigh heavily on me, and I will not allow another world to fall victim to the Decepticons and their machinations. If they cannot conquer your world, they will destroy it out of spite, but as long as my spark functions, I will not allow either incident to occur."

Caden smiled and leaned against his exhaust pipe again, gazing out at the rising sun. "I guess...I guess my reasons are a bit more selfish." He saw Optimus give him a strange look and continued. "By and large, I _don't_ care about the rest of humanity, but...if something affects a large enough group of people, the rest of the world is affected as well. It's the worst-and sometimes best kind of symbiosis. Globalization and the Internet have connected the people of this planet more than ever before, allowing us to share ideas, technology, art...and much less honorable pursuits as well. Like any great power or opportunity, it's a double-edged sword." The boy laughed derisively, looking at a healing wound on his forearm. "I would know more than anyone about those."

Optimus motioned for him to continue.

Caden shrugged. "See, I hurt, I bleed like the rest of my species, but…see this?" He motioned to the cut on his forearm, and Optimus nodded. "That was two inches longer yesterday, and about quarter-inch deeper. Now, it's almost completely healed. That's what Achilles does, it speeds up your body's natural regenerative processes by increasing your metabolism to its peak potential. Speeds up your mind by increasing the amount of neurological processing power you have available. Unlocks a gigantic portion of human potential that the natural process hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of. That makes me the best in the world at what I do, and you know I'm not boasting." Optimus nodded. "Well, it also makes me a target.

"The Keystone, CIA, NSA, MI5, every intelligence agency and government in the _world _that has ever caught wind of me and what I can do, which, admittedly, isn't many, has been on my ass since the day I went on the run. I've just gotten so good at staying hidden that most of their agents don't even believe I exist. Now, I'm working with an international organization and somewhat settling down. Somewhat." Caden shook his head. "It's a whole new ball game, and while I'm not willing to give up my anonymity, I'm willing to work with you all. I don't know why. Usually, I'm the most paranoid person in the room, and I feel like I'm the one who trusts you and the Autobots the most. Granted, I researched you for months before we even met, but...still."

Optimus nodded. "It also surprised me how quickly and easily Hawk took to you after your first meeting. You two are alike in that regard, quick to fight and slow to trust. Perhaps it was that mutual mistrust that led you to become closer to each other."

"Maybe," Caden said distractedly. "Hadn't thought of it that way. Kinda reminds me of a girlfriend I once had." The Prime raised an eyebrow, but Caden pretended not to notice. "She and I knew it would likely end with us parting ways, amicably or with a really big fight. She was a reporter, a journalist, and I was...am, well, you know, a spy. I'm used to gathering and keeping secrets, and she was used to exposing them. It wasn't exactly the ideal mix, but with both of us knowing it likely wouldn't work out, we were actually able to forge a strong relationship for a few months. That mutual understanding allowed us to part ways without a fuss or shock. Both of us agreed it was for the best."

Optimus blinked and looked back out at the sun, which had risen considerably over the course of their conversation. "I see. So, you believe that eventually, you and Hawk will 'break up.'"

Caden laughed. "Well, no, cause a partnership's a lot different from a dating relationship. With the latter, you need trust and affection. With the former, all you really need is trust and a common goal."

"And do you trust him?"

Caden thought about that long and hard, biting the inside of his cheek. "After Kiev, I trust him to do his job." He was dodging the question, and Optimus knew it, but said nothing. "And we have a common goal, so there's that." Drake stopped talking after that, becoming lost in his own thoughts and considerations on the subject, one that had plagued his mind in the two months after his kidnapping.

Optimus also remained silent for ten minutes before making a suggestion. "Do you wish to visit Ratchet and see how Hawk is faring?"

Caden thought about it. "No. Maybe." He looked up at Optimus with an arched eyebrow. "Only if the Hatchet doesn't throw another wrench at my head."

The Prime laughed and crouched down, scooping up the boy and letting him off. "He won't as long as you don't call him that."

Caden smiled as Optimus transformed into his flaming truck form and again opened the passenger door. Climbing in, he looked over at the steering wheel, a similarly flaming Autobot symbol in its center. Noticing his gaze, Optimus spoke up.

"Would you like to drive?"

Drake blinked rapidly and stared at the driver's seat wide-eyed. _Me, drive Optimus?_ He grinned and nodded. _Definitely one to tell the grandkids, _he mused as he shuffled into the driver's seat. Feeling the seat adjust under him, automatically fitting to his height and reach, Caden nodded his thanks and gripped the steering wheel with his left hand, the shifter with his right, putting the truck into gear and hitting the gas rather roughly, feeling the vehicle lurch forward and hearing the engine whine in protest.

"Sorry," he apologized with a wince, "still getting used to the sensitivity." Setting his face, Drake laid into the gas gently and before he knew it, he and Optimus were on the road, driving toward Washington. _Man, this thing drives like a monster. _The boy smiled as they leisurely cruised along, thinking back that the seat he was now in had been optimized for someone a great deal taller and deducing that Optimus' holoform was at least 6'5". An hour and a half-dozen string of muttered curses later, Caden had gotten through the horrendous I-66 traffic and entered Washington, and was within spitting distance of NEST headquarters.

When they pulled in, he could see Que giving a longer and thicker cannon to Ironhide and showing him how to use it. Sideswipe was sharpening his swords in another section of the building, and the Twins were bickering over something. Arcee and Chromia were nowhere to be seen, and neither was Bumblebee, who he assumed was visiting his former human charge. Pulling to a stop, Caden waited and watched as the leader of the Autobots transformed and stood erect.

"So...how'd I do," Drake asked him.

Optimus stretched his massive arms and joints a bit, getting out the "robot cramps." "Your driving was...adequate."

Caden grimaced. "That bad, huh?"

"I believe you are used to riding with Autobots that are much younger and more used to...fast living."

The human laughed and grinned at the double-meaning of that phrase he wasn't sure Optimus understood. "Well, I sure hope not, cause there'll be hell to pay if Hawk goes anywhere near Chromia."

The Prime seemed to get that implication, if the way his optics widened to twice their usual size was any indication. "He did...what?"

Caden just bent over in laughter. _I swear, I'm gonna give this guy a spark attack at all the things he thinks Hawk is doing._ "He _didn't_! And no, don't tell Ironhide. He seems like the jealous type, and not at all above vaporizing a defenseless Bot for laying a hand on his woman."

"Who did wha?"

Caden's grin faded as he rolled his eyes and purposely turned his back to the source of the voice. _Great, these two morons._ With effort, he dragged his eyes over to look at the red and green twins, who stared at him with stupid, buck-toothed grins on their faces. "Nothing, _di'kute_."

"Di-what," Skids demanded.

"Look it up," Caden snarled as he headed toward the medbay.

Optimus looked on in amusement as Caden stormed off, chuckling in remembrance at the first and last time the Twins had ever been appointed as his temporary guardians. Hawk had been away on a covert op overseas two months after they became partners, and when Optimus asked Sideswipe to watch over him, he claimed an ache in his knee servos that the leader simply rolled his optics at and knew instantly that he was planning an elaborate prank on Ratchet. Before the Prime could insist, the Twins had volunteered to guard Caden's home, and before he could think further on it, Optimus agreed. He found out the next day that it was all just an excuse to "initiate the new guy" into their way of doing things.

They had tried to prank the master spy by rigging paint traps all over his house and grounds while he slept and giggling like fools the entire night before they went to recharge. When they went active in the late morning, not only had they found all their traps untripped, but Caden was standing in front of them both, arms behind his back, concealing something, grinning evilly. Before either could react, he swung his arms forward, revealing two automatic paintball guns and firing them a hundred rounds a minute. What they found out a few seconds later was that the balls were actually filled with a mixture of hydrochloric acid and paint remover, a combination that both peeled their shiny metallic paint jobs and caused an insufferable itching sensation for hours.

He ended up chasing their shrieking forms into the street, firing his guns and literally running them off his property. When the Twins finally outran him and got back to NEST, they whined and complained about how the kid had turned the tables on them, causing every Bot and human present to laugh at their predicament, including, to some extent, Ratchet, who summarily gave them both a good wrench-whacking for their stupidity. From then on, the Twins never volunteered to guard him, and they were never asked. Optimus walked after Caden as the memory faded and picked him up, setting him on his shoulder as he strode into the medbay.

"Where's Ratchet," Caden asked in confusion at finding only a stasis-locked Hawk in the large room.

Optimus knew where he likely was, but not even some of the _Autobots_ could know just yet. "I am...unsure. I'll call him." Pressing a finger to his helm, Optimus opened a private comm. channel to the medic. "Ratchet, please come to the medbay."

A sharp clatter and whir was heard over the link before Ratchet responded. "The boy?"

"Indeed."

"On my way, Optimus." A few minutes later, the rev of a Hummer G2 was heard near the medbay's entrance, and Ratchet transformed upon entry, striding over to his Autobot patient. He checked his power levels and auto-repair protocols before turning to Caden and his commander. "Hawk is in excellent condition considering his injuries. As I said before, it will be another six days at least before he comes out of stasis lock."

"And gets back to being my partner," Caden added, arms crossed and face smiling slightly in relief.

"Ah...not quite." Caden looked at him in confusion. "He will be _responsive_ in a week, but that does not mean he will be active. The damage to his internal systems will take at least a month in addition to repair."

Caden's jaw dropped. "Is it really that bad? I mean, I've seen some of you guys take worse hits and walk away little the worse for wear."

"That," Optimus cut in, "is because many of our chasses are designed for heavy combat. Hawk's was optimized for infiltration and speed. If Bumblebee, for instance, had suffered the same attack, he would have sustained similar injuries and would be similarly 'stuck' in the medbay."

Drake sighed and looked down, mind blank until he clenched his teeth. _I_ hate_ waiting._ "I hate waiting," he voiced aloud.

Optimus gently laid a massive finger on his shoulder. "As do we all, my friend."

Ratchet looked at them both, wondering at their seemingly overnight familiarity before piping up. "If you would like, Caden, you can stay here while I repair some of his energon lines." His optics swept over the boy as he performed a quick medical scan, noting his smile at the idea. "And then get to repairing you."

Drake's smile faded. "On second thought," he said, crossing his arms and looking at the medic suspiciously, "maybe I'll just wait outside with Optimus."

Ratchet rolled his optics. "Stubborn boy. Let me at least have a look at you." Caden shook his head resolutely, and the medic looked at Optimus pleadingly.

"Caden," the massive Bot said softly, "you will be of no use to us, or Hawk, if you are not fully operational."

"Trust me Optimus," he said, scowling slightly at Ratchet, "I've taken worse scrapes."

"That is an order."

Caden flinched at the word "order." _Thought I made it very clear that I don't work for any of you, and therefore I don't_ take_ orders from _any_ of you. _As he looked up at Optimus' concerned optics, however, the resistance in him left, as something familiar yet unfamiliar stirred within him at the sight. "Fine," he spat out finally, reaching out his hand to motion for Optimus to lower him. The Prime gingerly picked him up and set him on Ratchet's gigantic desk, ten feet off the ground.

"I will be outside if you need me."

Caden nodded to the blue and red mech as he turned and strode out of the medbay, leaving him with the Hatchet. Drake scowled at the floor both at his predicament and the unknown feeling he had yet to identify. For the next half-hour, he absently watched Ratchet reach into Hawk's chest, wincing as he touched hull and wires that looked painful before reminding himself that the Bot was comatose and couldn't feel anything. While waiting for his presumably uncomfortable inspection, Caden racked his memories for any pertaining to that strange emotion, anything within the last decade until he swept further back, to his earlier childhood. To his parents.

Drake's dark brown, nearly black eyes widened at the realization. _I'd only ever felt that way around my father, whenever he told me to do something I_ really_ didn't care for, but knew was necessary. _He ran a hand through his hair and mulled his revelation over. _Can I possibly see Optimus as a father figure? _No one else had filled that role in his life in the nine years since his biological father's death, and he hadn't looked, hadn't felt the need to. _I guess there are worse role models, _he mused absently, still contemplating the thought of having a gigantic alien robot as a dad. He laughed loudly and suddenly, causing Ratchet to flinch and curse in Cybertronian as he accidentally nicked an inactive energon line.

"Primus, Caden, would you _keep it down_?"

Drake rolled his eyes at him with a grin. "What are you talking about? I've been quiet this whole time." He almost laughed again at the scowl the medic was giving him, but instead, his smile turned mischievous and grew wider. "What's wrong, the Hatchet can't deal with a little distraction?" Ratchet's optics changed subtly, but Caden remembered enough of last night to know what was coming, so was ready and rolled sideways as the flying wrench ricocheted off the massive desk, leaving a sizable dent in its chrome surface. "Sorry, Dr. House," he said with another dumb grin.

Ratchet's optics narrowed considerably, and he considered tossing another wrench at the boy before deciding he was just trying to get a rise out of him and returning to his work with extra focus. Caden's grin thinned out and faded to a slight smirk, and his thoughts focused on what he'd just done. _What are these people doing to me? I'm not a joker, and I_ don't_ smile this much. Ever. _But he had, once, he realized, thinking back to his parents again and looking at the crotchety old mech working in front of him. _I could definitely do worse._

…

One hour and an expectedly uncomfortable examination later, Caden left Ratchet's medbay plotting to collaborate with Sideswipe on his next prank on the medic. Spotting the Autobot in question, he started fast-walking over to the Corvette and barely got twenty feet before having his way barred by the Twins. Rolling his eyes, Caden put his hands on his hips in annoyance and stared up at them.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing yo, just ah…" Mudflap shared a look with his twin and grinned mischievously. _They are such bad liars, _Caden thought with another roll of his eyes.

Before the water balloon even got halfway to Caden's position, he had performed a backwards handspring and started to sprint back toward the medbay, the two pranksters in tow and hurling balloons left and right. The spy kept dodging, much to their frustration, and ducked into the medbay, hurriedly climbing atop Hawk's berth, sending Ratchet into a tizzy, especially as he reached toward the inactive Bot's lower left torso and yanked on a panel. When it gave easily, he reached inside and pulled something out of the hollow space, a device with a wide barrel and a hopper on the top. The Twins' optics went wide as they tucked tail and ran, though not fast enough to avoid the first salvo of HCl-paint remover pellets, all of which exploded neatly on their afts.

"Fear me, curs!" he called out mockingly, leaping down and running after their fleeing bodies. He rolled away from a flying water balloon and sprayed the attacker with another six-round burst of pellets, eliciting a high-pitched screech from the victim and uproarious laughter from the watching soldiers. Even Optimus had come to watch-from a safe distance, of course, as Caden unleashed his entire payload of custom pellets on the Twins. Eventually, though, he was empty, and the itching Bots grinned at each other as the human's weapon clicked empty. _Uh-oh._

This time, his reflexes gave him little advantage as the Twins literally rained down water balloons on him, effectively sending a flak-shot of rubber and water in a five-foot radius around his position. He simply stood there, shoulders slumped, as his clothes and shoes were soaked to the core with nothing he could do about it. About a minute later, they too had run out of ammo, and their temporary glee at finally and successfully pranking Caden faded as the panic over their itching settled in, allowing the human to have the last laugh as they ran off crying to Ratchet. A minute later, two clangs were heard from the medbay, and Caden laughed harder as he strode, sopping wet, over to Optimus, the "battle" with the Twins more than sating his hunger for sweet vengeance.

"Enjoying yourself," the leader asked with a chuckle.

Caden grinned and nodded emphatically, taking his shirt off and wringing it out, causing a few female soldiers nearby to stare. He didn't notice, though Optimus did and smiled to himself as the human slipped his wet shirt back on and leaned against a nearby wall. "I think you're corrupting me," Caden said with a grin.

Optimus looked at him, confused and worried. "Corrupting?"

Drake laughed. "Yeah...I never used to do stuff like this. You know, have fun, of any sort. I guess, since I was kinda fighting my own personal war, I just...shoved away all the human feelings until I got the job done." He looked down and his smile faded. "Hell, I was cold even before I started fighting back." Caden looked back up at Optimus, who was staring at him and listening intently. "The night my parents died, I locked away my feelings, the deep ones, anyway. Mischief, fun, love." He shook his head bitterly. "Those things were the biggest two-edged sword of all. Having them made my life worth living, but losing them…" The kid shuddered. "Losing them was like losing a piece of my soul."

"I get the feeling you mean the people who allowed you to enjoy those things, and not the feelings themselves."

Caden nodded, staring off into the distance. "I guess...what I'm trying to say is, thank you." He looked back up at Optimus' kind optics. "All of you. Never thought I'd be saying this to an alien robot, but, you've all helped give me back my humanity."

Optimus smiled warmly. "You are most welcome."

…

1 week later

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"That should do it. I'm bringing him online now."

Caden tapped his foot on the medbay floor impatiently, staring at his comatose friend's body with his arms crossed. Ratchet flipped a switch on one of his machines, and a sudden jolt of energy shot through Hawk's body, causing his optics to online and his entire form to gasp. Ratchet gently held him down as he began to thrash and cough sporadically, keeping him there until he finally calmed down and recycled his energon in relief at seeing his surroundings.

"Caden," he wheezed out, "is he—?"

"Right here, partner," Caden answered with a smile, causing the Bot to slowly and almost painfully crane his head to look down at the human. Hawk smiled back, but drew his eyebrows together in confusion as his partner scowled at him slightly and narrowed his eyes. "Don't—_ever_—do something that stupid and heroic again."

The Bot threw his head back and laughed hard, way too hard, as a massive pain tore through his chassis and his hand flew to his still-damaged chest to try and mitigate it. Ratchet cursed in Cybertronian, throwing a wrench distractedly in Caden's direction and steadying Hawk with his other hand as the boy laughed and easily sidestepped it.

"Out you, if you can't behave! He's awake, not recovered!"

The partners laughed even more at the crotchety medic's reaction and grumblings until Hawk's injuries forced him to comply and stop, though a wide grin was still plastered to his face, both at Ratchet's antics and the fact that both he and his charge were alive. He had saved him. They had saved each other. By the contemplative look on the human's face, though, Hawk could tell that he was only half-kidding about his sacrifice, and that there would be a long talk about it and the other issues that had lain dormant between them for the last two months. For now, all he could think about was enjoying the fact that his spark still hummed...and making Ratchet's foreseeable future as his doctor a living Pit. Both thoughts brought a wide grin to his face again as he closed his optics and laid back, settling into an easy recharge as he let the doctor do his work.

* * *

AN: More fluff and happiness! Hope you enjoyed this second semi-filler chapter and are looking forward to more. Next chapter, I plan on having Caden meet another major character from the movieverse. Drake's going to college!

Enjoy and, as always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

None


	9. College

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Mudflap

Skids

Que/Wheeljack

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Dreadwing

Read my profile for an explanation of this list, and PM or review with suggestions.

* * *

The partners laughed even more at the crotchety medic's reaction and grumblings until Hawk's injuries forced him to comply and stop, though a wide grin was still plastered to his face, both at Ratchet's antics and the fact that both he and his charge were alive. He had saved him. They had saved each other. By the contemplative look on the human's face, though, Hawk could tell that he was only half-kidding about his sacrifice, and that there would be a long talk about it and the other issues that had lain dormant between them for the last two months. For now, all he could think about was enjoying the fact that his spark still hummed...and making Ratchet's foreseeable future as his doctor a living Pit. Both thoughts brought a wide grin to his face again as he closed his optics and laid back, settling into an easy recharge as he let the doctor do his work.

…

1 month later

6:06 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

9 months after the death of the Fallen

"Frag me sideways!"

Caden cringed at the obvious pain Hawk felt from attempting to transform for the third time today, smiling only slightly at the way Ratchet stormed toward his unruly patient. He'd lost count of the number of times the medic had told Hawk to stop trying after the first time, and he honestly didn't care. All he knew was that his Autobot friend was going to get out of this medbay _today_, even if he had to run his way out in bipedal form. He wouldn't get far, between his still-raw injuries and the veritable army of Autobots Optimus had commissioned to stop him if he tried, but he would still go for it.

"You will _sit_ on that berth," Ratchet began angrily, "and you will _stay _there until I, as your attending physician, say otherwise!" To illustrate his point, the medic hefted an unusually large wrench and smacked his empty hand with the wide end of it. "Because if you don't, _I _will put a dent in your stubborn head so large, you won't be ready for service for half an Earth year!"

That stopped Hawk right quick, and Caden gaped at Ratchet's unusually violent threat, realizing that the crotchety old mech was angry enough to be serious about carrying it out. Hawk relaxed with a snicker and leaned back onto his berth with a small gasp of pain, his only comfort the sweet revenge that he'd been plotting with Sideswipe and Caden when Ratchet wasn't looking.

"And _you_," Ratchet said, turning to Caden sternly.

Drake's eyebrows went up, and he pointed to his chest. "Me?"

The medic rolled his optics. "Yes, you. Optimus has a mission for you. It's something I usually attend to, but since my patient-" Ratchet gave a quick kick to the berth, "-is the most obstinate, impatient Bot I've ever treated by _far_, I'm unable to take the time to perform it."

"And _it_ is...?"

Ratchet turned back to his patient. "Talk to Optimus."

Caden pressed his lips together before looking at Hawk and shrugging in defeat. "I'll see you later, Hawk. Try not to make things _too_ difficult for our dear Hatchet." The boy beat a hasty retreat and sprinted out the exit as a wrench bounced away from his last position with a clang.

…

Finding Optimus Prime actually proved difficult, even with Caden's sharp eyes and the Prime's massive form. Two minutes later, he found the reason for it. All the Autobots, with the exception of Ratchet and Hawk, of course, were getting a car wash. Sideswipe was getting hosed down by a team of mechanics who all stayed a considerable distance away, fearing the wrath of a fast-opening door if they so much as touched his paint wrong. Arcee and Chromia were much easier customers, even shifting their parts to allow their servicemen better access to hard-to-reach areas. Bumblebee was practically purring under the attention, as he had been stuck in mud country in Alabama for the last two weeks tailing a human drug lord for the DEA and had no access to proper cleaning services.

Skids and Mudflap were almost as picky as Sideswipe, still feeling very much hurt over the thrashing and stripping that Caden had given them a month before. Ironhide was the easiest of them all, being the old soldier he was, and other than the occasional rumble of his engine in appreciation, he made no moves or sounds in response. Optimus, Caden found, had his very own hangar and pit crew, probably because of the massive size of his vehicle mode. His blue and red paint job was streaming in soap and running water until several nearby mechanics sprayed him with power-washing hoses at four separate angles, forcefully removing the soap and dirt and leaving his flaming body shining like it had just been painted.

A smile came to Caden's face at the sight, and he marveled at just how badass the caring leader could look sometimes, even when he wasn't in his imposing 32-foot robot form. Striding over to him from across the hangar, his arrival caught the attention of the mechanics briefly before they returned to their work. Caden stood at the passenger side of the Peterbilt and gently rapped his knuckles on the door, climbing in when it opened to allow him entry. Optimus' holoform deployed in the driver's seat and turned to face the human with piercing blue eyes, just like Hawk's. As expected, the "man" was a good six inches taller than him. Caden could tell even in a seating position. His hair was jet-black with small streaks of white mixed in a seemingly haphazard pattern, but one that somehow made sense to Caden's aesthetically-geared mind.

"Caden," Optimus said in greeting with a nod.

"Optimus," Caden responded, returning the gesture. "I hear you have a mission for me."

The man's eyes brightened and he nodded. "Indeed. Ever since the imprint of the coordinates for the Sun Harvester on the mind of Samuel Witwicky, we have been watching him carefully to make sure that no further...episodes have occurred since his near-breakdown before the arrival of the Fallen."

"Ratchet said it was a task he usually reserved for himself."

Optimus nodded. "As our resident scientist and medical expert, he has the foremost knowledge on such visions and the effects that the Allspark radiation he was exposed to can have. Thus far, there have been no complications, and we would like to keep it that way, but if anything does change, we must know immediately."

Caden nodded slowly. "I understand. What exactly am I supposed to do?

Optimus reached into the back of his cab and pulled out a tablet-sized device with Cybertronian symbols on it, handing it to Caden, who took it gingerly. "Simply press this button while facing the device at his body, and it will take a scan of his entire body to check for any adverse effects of the radiation."

"Understood. Where do I find him?"

"Princeton."

…

4 hours later

10:21 PM

Princeton University, Princeton, NJ

"College," Caden hissed out with a snarl, looking in disgust as a few drunken freshman boys stampeded after an equally drunk freshman girl. There had obviously been a party earlier that night to celebrate the end of the school year, and the remnants were starting to file out and spread across campus. From the sheer volume of drunken morons roaming about, he had to guess it had consisted of several hundred, if not thousand, students. Striding past a couple making out in the archway of one of the dorms, he pushed past an inebriated girl that was getting a little too handsy with the "hot newbie." Wrinkling his nose at the almost overpowering scent of alcohol, Drake kept walking and hoped to heaven that Sam wasn't in the middle of this mess.

His hopes were realized as he spotted the nerdy college freshman trying to push his way past a nearly blacked-out clump of sophomores and into his dorm. The door swung open and into someone, knocking them over as Sam apologized profusely and ducked into the building before anyone could stop his escape. Caden slipped in just before the door closed, clearly welcoming the sudden barrier between him and the choking aroma of alcohol as much as Sam. Letting out a long sigh of relief, he ascended the stairs to the second floor of the dorm and smirked slightly at the taped-up doorframe next to the stairwell, remembering from a NEST report that the boy in question had been attacked and "humped by a wild mountain ox" that just so happened to be a Pretender just moments before allegedly shrieking like a little girl.

A loud laugh turned Sam's head in Caden's direction as the grinning spy strode toward him. Thinking nothing of it, he entered his new dorm and slammed the door shut seconds before a series of loud knocks sent him groaning back to it. When he opened the portal, Sam was immediately faced with a slightly older, six-foot, wiry-built man with a military crew cut and brown eyes so dark, he couldn't see his pupils in the faint light coming from his room's lamp.

"Yeah," the college freshman asked impatiently.

"Sam Witwicky?"

Sam stuck his head forward obnoxiously and raised his eyebrows in annoyance. "Yeah?"

The dark-eyed man barely narrowed his eyes in response before smiling slightly and extending his hand. "Caden Drake."

Sam's face drained of all color as his eyes widened and his posture immediately straightened. "Caden...as in _the_ Caden?"

The visitor looked genuinely confused. "You know me?"

"Yeah, 'course I do. Lennox calls every so often, and so does Ratchet. In fact-" Sam checked the date on his watch, "-I've been expecting him all day. Wanna explain?"

Caden eyes narrowed at him dangerously, and the kid gulped. "I'm carrying out your Cybertronian physical this month."

Sam stared at him and shook his head, none of it making any sense. "What do you mean? Ratch isn't coming?"

Caden shook his head and impatiently entered the dorm, noting the absence of his roommate Leo as he turned around and faced Sam, who had just shut the door. "He's a little occupied at the moment. Very sensitive recovery program for an injured Autobot."

Sam's earlier confusion faded and had its place taken by a grim understanding. "Well, make yourself at home, I guess. How long is this gonna take?"

"Not long, I hope." _I really,_ really_ do._ Caden reached for the messenger bag slung around his shoulder and brought out the scanner, motioning for Sam to sit and raising it to face him. Pressing the button indicated by Optimus, he watched as the device sent a grid of lasers over Sam's body and looked at the scanner's screen to see an outline of the kid's body and internal musculoskeletal structure. Other data was recorded in Cybertronian, and Caden knew that whatever it said, Ratchet was the only one who could decipher it. _Wow. That was quick._ Drake raised an eyebrow and powered down the scanner, tucking it back into his bag as confusion returned to Sam's face.

"That's it?"

Caden raised his eyebrows and nodded. "That's it. Aaand I'm outta your hair." Zipping up the bag, Drake strode toward the door and was a split-second away from turning the knob when he felt the door shake and smack against its frame. The spy's eyes went wide, and he looked back at Sam with a horrified expression, which he found mirrored on the freshman's beet-red face. _Oh no. Please, gosh no._ Caden's eyes screwed up tight as the obscene sounds from the other side of the door intensified, and he promised himself that Ratchet would pay for putting him through this. _Not even Hawk is worth this kind of torture._ Suddenly, his dark eyes snapped open, and he got an idea.

"Sam?"

"Yeah," the teenager gulped out.

"You're on the second floor, right?" The kid nodded uncertainly. "You wanna escape this," he asked, jerking his thumb at the door. This time, Sam's nod was rapid and emphatic. "Good." Caden rushed toward the nearest window and unlatched it before grabbing Witwicky's arm and yanking him toward it, then ignoring his screams as they fell ten feet to land in a clump of bushes on the ground.

"There he is!"

Drake's eyes went wide as he saw the gang of inebriated college girls point in his direction and start running full-tilt, shrieking the whole way as the two kids ran for their lives.

"Friends of yours," Sam asked in a terrified voice as they sprinted away.

"They apparently think I'm the 'hot newbie,' but I'm not even staying!" They ran for their lives, actually having to push themselves to escape the surprisingly sure-footed female mob after them. Rounding the corner of a building, Caden pulled Sam back behind some bushes and watched in barely restrained terror as the shrieking girls ran past, their alcohol-addled minds not comprehending the fact that they didn't have far enough of a lead to break sight for long. When they were finally out of sight, the two boys breathed a sigh of relief and leaned heavily against the wall of the building they were next to. The two teens exchanged a terrified look before cracking up hysterically. It was a full minute later before they came up for breath, panting with the exertion of their run and laughter.

"Is it-always this crazy," Caden asked between breaths, a grin plastered to his face.

"Just after midterms...and finals, apparently."

They shared another laugh before Caden got to his feet and offered Sam a hand. The kid took it, and Drake helped him up. "What do you say we get out of this madhouse? I brought a friend that I think you'll be happy to see." Sam's eyes lit up in sudden excitement and he nodded quickly, causing Caden to nod sideways. "Come on then." They both froze at the familiar sound of drunk women becoming dangerously close and exchanged a look. "Can you handle running again?" Sam nodded emphatically, and they both broke off in a sprint, heading as far away from the sounds of drunken madness as possible.

…

5 minutes later

"Man," Sam panted, "I thought we'd never outrun 'em."

"Makes two of us," Caden responded with a raised eyebrow. "Man I hate college. S'why I never went."

Sam looked at him sideways, but said nothing as they kept walking, having left behind the stone-littered campus for the streets of the greater Princeton area. Strolling down an alley, they kept walking until they reached the parking lot of an Arby's and the freshman spotted the "friend" Caden had been referring to. "Bee!"

The car purred in response, and the radio turned through half a dozen different songs before settling on "I'm So Excited!"

"Yeah yeah, me too old bud." He patted the hood of the yellow-and-black Camaro affectionately before sitting on it. "How you been?"

"Been-long time-old friend," the Bot said, cycling through various stations and movies, causing Caden to smile at the last quote from X-Men, a phrase spoken by Patrick Stewart to Ian McKellen.

"Yeah it has. What you been up to, you know, with NEST and all?"

"Classified," Bee said in EVE's voice from Wall-E.

Sam laughed at that, and Caden stood off to the side to give the old friends some privacy and time to catch up. Reaching for his phone, he scrolled through his contacts list, looking for someone to call and talk the time away with. A grin blossomed on his face at Hawk's name and he toyed with the idea of calling him and angering Ratchet by making his partner use his comm. system "prematurely." He eventually dismissed it when his finger alighted on the name "Aria." His smile faded and lips parted slightly. _We haven't spoken in...months._ Pressing his lips together, he was about to hit "call" when he heard Sam's voice thrown in his direction.

"Hey, Cade!"

The spy sighed and rolled his eyes before turning to the kid, who was grinning like an idiot and sitting in Bee's driver seat. "Yeah?"

Sam nodded toward the inside of the car. "Come on! Let's go for a drive!"

"No offense, Wicky, but...I don't trust you."

The freshman's grin widened even more. "Oh come on, if I do anything crazy, Bee'll take control."

Sighing in resignation, Drake nodded and strode sullenly toward the car, making a mental note to call Aria when he got the chance. As he climbed in, he noticed that Sam was almost giddy with happiness. _I guess he should be. He just finished his first year of college, isn't getting shot at by Cons again, and his former guardian and friend just showed up to start his summer break off with a bang._ As the car lurched forward and Caden found himself involuntarily tensing up, though, the only thought that he could muster was, _I'm gonna regret this. Let's just hope I live long enough to._ Twenty minutes and a few eye-squeezing moments later, the Camaro came to a stop.

"Sorry," Sam apologized, still grinning, "guess I'm a little rusty."

Caden let out a shuddering breath. "I didn't think anything could scare me more than coming face-to-face with a murderous Decepticon, but I've been proven wrong twice in one day." He slowly turned to face the giggling freshman and stared at him agape, slowly shaking his head as the entire car shook with both Sam's laughter and Bumblebee's. _Never,_ ever_ taking over Ratchet's duties again._ Checking his watch, Caden sighed in relief at the time. _Almost 12:30. Most of the drunken throng should be settling down by now._ "We better get you back. Not time for you to come home _just _yet."

Sam nodded with a laugh.

"Bee," Caden said sternly, "take the wheel."

The car rumbled in assent, and Sam looked put out until the Autobot started driving even crazier than him, leaving Caden completely tense the whole ride and plastered to his seat. Witwicky looked about ready to die of laughter by the time they reached the university campus.

"Thought-you liked to-go fast," Bee said as they pulled to a stop, his frame shaking with laughter.

Drake turned to Sam slowly as he kicked the dashboard hard. "I like to go fast, with people I trust-" he kicked the dash again, "-behind the wheel. Personally, there are only two other people that fit that description: Hawk and Kara."

"Oooh," Sam started stupidly, "who's Kara?" He grinned at Caden's narrow-eyed expression. "She your girl? I bet she's a supermodel. One with long legs and big-"

"That's it!" Caden yelled as he reached across to the driver's seat and grasped at Sam, who was already scrambling out of the open window, terror written across his face. Caden kicked his own door open and sprinted after the fleeing freshman, sure he would catch up to him until two much stronger arms wrapped around his torso and held him back. "You're dead, Witwicky! Dead!" As he thrashed around and kicked, he eventually calmed down and panted for several seconds, Sam having long beat a hasty retreat back to his dorm. "All right, all right! I'm good."

With that, Bee's blonde holoform put his feet back on the ground and let him go. Drake strode back over to the car's driver seat and got in sullenly, scowling at the radio before putting the Camaro in reverse and beginning the long drive back to DC. _I hate college._

…

4 hours later

4:37 AM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Caden pulled Bee into the main entrance of NEST's HQ seemingly in only a slightly better mood than when the return trip started. At the very least, Bumblebee had made an effort to play all of his favorite songs to soothe the tension between them. As the spy dismounted from the Autobot scout, Bee transformed and crouched down, staring at the still-scowling human as he crossed his arms.

"We—good?"

Caden rolled his eyes and smirked slightly, barely keeping himself from breaking into the laughter he'd been suppressing since he left Princeton. What they had done was actually very funny, but if the scout ever posted the recording he'd made of his response to it _anywhere_, including on NEST's secure server, he'd make a specially concentrated batch of HCl-paint remover just for him. "Yeah," he responded finally, breaking into a grin as he walked away, "we're good." He strode straight into the medbay and somehow wasn't surprised to find Ratchet there, still awake. What caught him off-guard was the suddenly empty berth that had held his partner for the last month. Caden cleared his throat to get the medic's attention and looked up at him expectantly. To his surprise, Ratchet actually smiled and nodded toward the medbay's secondary entrance. When Drake turned toward it, his unbelieving eyes widened at what they saw.

Hawk swaggered through the doorway, his redone paintjob shiny and complete, the wound in his chest not only repaired, but the armor around it reinforced. In fact, most of his chassis seemed slightly thicker than before, not quite bulky, but looking much tougher than before his injuries, making it seem like he'd put on a lot of metallic muscle overnight. The wings on his helm were shinier and more defined, his optics were bright, and his slight but trademark cocky smirk present in all its glory.

"Hawk," Caden asked, voice disbelieving.

The Bot nodded. "It's me, kid. In the flesh." He shrugged and smiled wider. "So to speak."

Caden laughed twice and looked between him and Ratchet. "He looks...complete. Like he's not even in pain."

Ratchet and Hawk exchanged a look before the former shrugged and leaned back on his desk. "I'm not," Hawk explained. "In fact, I haven't been for the last week or two." When Caden looked at the two Bots suspiciously, Hawk smiled wider. "It was actually my idea. You were relying on me too much, I found. Not taking advantage of the resources you have in _all_ of us."

Drake drew his eyebrows together and crossed his arms. "So when were you planning on coming out of the medbay?"

"Tonight, obviously," Hawk responded with a roll of the optics. "We just needed to make sure you knew the _whole _family."

"You mean Witwicky?" Caden's eyes narrowed at the evil grin his partner gave him. "That was your idea too?" At Hawk's nod, Drake's expression turned mock murderous. "I'm gonna strip your new paint for putting me through that."

At that, both Bots laughed uproariously, especially when the human turned red. Hawk laughed harder when Caden found a human-sized wrench and tossed it into Ratchet's helm with pinpoint accuracy, landing on his left eyebrow, right above his optic. By the time Ratchet retaliated with his own throw and all but chased the human out of the medbay, the fully-recovered Bot was practically floored with laughter. Two minutes later, they both came back, scowling slightly at each other, and Hawk vainly suppressed a chuckle at the both of them.

"So," Caden said sharply, "you look different."

"Yep," Hawk responded, still grinning slightly, "completely repaired."

"With a few upgrades," Ratchet corrected, motioning for Hawk to show his partner.

The Bot smiled and flexed his hands, deploying his trademark Cybertanium swords and holding them out for a moment before snapping his arms to the side, causing the blades to spin in circles, effectively making a propeller saw out of the near-indestructible metal weapons. _Sweet,_ Caden thought as he stared at the show. Hawk retracted the blades and reached for his back, deploying a rifle-looking weapon from his subspace and drawing it. "Plasma caster," he explained. "Que's design." Caden nodded and stared at the weapon as Hawk turned it to show him all the angles. "Finally," the Bot said, returning the rifle to its subspace, "my personal favorite."

Drake stared at Hawk's body in its entirety before noticing slight movement on his head. Along the sides of his face, moving parts revealed themselves and shifted to create a battle mask similar to that worn by Optimus. The silver metal mask covered his mouth and nose, everything below his optics, and resembled the snub-nosed beak of a Cooper's Hawk, the short tip of the beak pointed straight down.

"Now _that_," Caden started, pointing in approval, "is badass." He saw Hawk's smile through his optics before the Bot retracted the mask and he saw the smile in its entirety.

"Glad you think so. I thought it was a good idea, you know, to keep this handsome mug intact in a fight." He gestured exaggeratedly to his metal face, and Caden laughed in response. "Ratchet agreed," he added, nodding toward the medic. "Added it to the bill, along with all the armor upgrades." Hawk motioned to the new hardpoints and increases in armor thickness at various areas. "Advanced, heat-resistant, nanopolymer-coated armor. The latter enhancement, I'm told, is an adaptation of yours."

Caden blinked and blushed slightly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, yeah. I uh, I used the same tech to make my bulletproof undershirt. Never thought it could be adapted for something that large."

Ratchet nodded in approval. "Brilliant work, if you don't mind me saying so. Years ahead of its time." Caden blushed furiously at the praise, and Hawk gave the medic a mock glare.

"Come on, Ratch, leave the kid alone."

"I'm just saying—"

"I know, Ratchet," Caden said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's just...coming from you, it's a bit flattering."

Ratchet stared at him with narrowed optics, trying to detect sarcasm, but found none. "Yes, well, I'm all done with him. Scoot!" he shouted at them both, shoving Hawk toward the door and shooing them both. "Go home! Recharge! You've had a very long day. Both of you."

"Try long month," Hawk corrected.

"Yes," Ratchet scolded, hands on his hips, "well, it _was _your idea to stay here two weeks after you were cleared for duty."

Hawk shrugged and grinned, walking away after picking up his human charge. "So," he said once well away from the medbay, "home?"

Caden looked up at him drowsily and nodded. "Home. You drive."

Hawk nodded and set the human down, transforming into his Lamborghini form, the Autobot symbol emblazoned in bright chrome on his hood and sides, wherever the Lamborghini symbol usually resided. The wheels had new chrome rims, a stark but appreciated contrast with the dominant steel-gray color of his body, with chrome grills on the front and back, and a new chrome spoiler on the rear. Caden smiled as he drowsily slumped into the passenger seat, closing the door weakly and pulling on his seatbelt as Hawk gently accelerated, driving them out of the hangar and back home, where Drake slept like a rock in his own bed.

* * *

AN: As of a few days ago, a hand-drawn image of Hawk 2.0 (with upgrades) is now the cover art for my story. If you want a full vision of the image, go to the Facebook link on my profile and search that page's photos.

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers the Score - Sam at the Lake: fairly self-explanatory, I think


	10. Downtime

Caden looked up at him drowsily and nodded. "Home. You drive."

Hawk nodded and set the human down, transforming into his Lamborghini form, the Autobot symbol emblazoned in bright chrome on his hood and sides, wherever the Lamborghini symbol usually resided. The wheels had new chrome rims, a stark but appreciated contrast with the dominant steel-gray color of his body, with chrome grills on the front and back, and a new chrome spoiler on the rear. Caden smiled as he drowsily slumped into the passenger seat, closing the door weakly and pulling on his seatbelt as Hawk gently accelerated, driving them out of the hangar and back home, where Drake slept like a rock in his own bed.

…

1 month later

Sudley, VA

10 months after the death of the Fallen

"What?!"

Caden grinned at the indignant and shocked expression on his guardian's holoform's face as he stared at the TV screen.

"It's not true," the TV said. "That's _impossible_!"

"I'll say," Hawk grumbled, crossing his arms in disappointment.

"Noooo!"

Caden broke out in uproarious laughter at Hawk's flushed and extreme reaction to the revelation that Darth Vader is Luke's father, and the Bot's holoform gave him a glare that only made him laugh louder. As they finished the Empire Strikes Back, Caden could still see the Bot fuming silently on the couch, resolutely refusing to move after that shock.

"Oh come on," Caden said with a smile, interrupting his thoughts, "you can't possibly _still_ be sulking over it."

Hawk glared at him again. "I hate you."

Caden just cracked up again and shook his head at the Bot's antics, returning to the kitchen to pour himself another glass of vodka. When he returned to the living room and the rolling credits of the Star Wars movie, Hawk was staring in his direction not with anger, but with concern.

"You know, that stuff's bad for you in the long run," he said, motioning to Caden's alcohol-filled glass.

"Correction, smoking is bad for humans in the long run. Alcohol's just bad for you in the short run." He downed a long swig, much more than is normal for drinking such a strong liquor. "Only so, in my case. Comes from having an enhanced liver," he explained, taking a seat and another sip. "Immune to cirrhosis, anemia, etc. In fact, I'm either immune or heavily resistant to most forms of disease, alcohol-related or otherwise." Tilting the glass back, he downed the last of the vodka before laughing in reminiscence. "_Not_ immune to hangovers, though."

Hawk tilted his head sideways to look that up and widened his eyes, staring at his partner when he found the definition. "Exactly how much do you have to drink to get to that point?"

Caden grinned. "A lot. And I mean a _lot_, more than anyone else could possibly handle. The sheer cost of getting that drunk actually pained me the next morning." He shook his head, still smiling. "Though not as much as my head did." They were both silent for a long time, Caden remembering the limited debauchery he'd committed over the course of his comparatively short lifetime, Hawk deep in thought about something else.

"So," the Bot said finally, turning to his human friend, "from what you tell me, this...Achilles, it's genetic, right?" Caden nodded. "And from what limited knowledge I've gleaned about your species, genetics can be passed on to offspring." The human nodded again, eyebrows furrowing as he started to track Hawk's line of thought. "So, you could potentially pass on your immunity to diseases to others."

Drake shrugged. "Well, yeah, if I had kids at some point, but...it would just be a few. And they would have to marry and reproduce, and their children, and so forth." The kid crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby wall. "It would take several thousand years at least to mass-produce my genetics naturally, and I'm not sure I even want them to be."

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Because you apparently don't care about the rest of humanity?"

Caden's face fell as he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand, right arm tucked underneath. "It...it's not like that." He could see Hawk staring at him, eyebrows raised as if to say, "Yeah right." "Look, it's not, okay? When I said that to Optimus...I was hurt, and scared. I didn't like seeing you hurt because of me."

"Thought we already went over who was to blame that day."

"Yeah, you're missing the point." Drake sighed again. "I _care_ about the rest of my kind, I do, I'm just realistic enough to accept that I can't save everyone." Another sigh. "Though it was a tough lesson to learn." Another long silence passed between them before Caden spoke again. "Look, I see the benefits of having a lot more people like me in the world, but I _also _see the monumental danger. You know what Raden and the Drakon did to my family and hundreds others. You know what they _almost _did to the world. That was two. _Two_! Can you _imagine_ the kind of damage more could do? Say, five, or a dozen, or a hundred?"

"Can you imagine the kind of good they'd do if they had you there to guide them?"

That stopped Caden in his tracks, mouth hanging open as he considered that point. _I...I could raise them. Teach them the right way to go, like my parents did._ His eyes widened. _I could start a line of protectors, guardians. Peak humans trained and raised to defend others from the kind of injustice that made me an orphan. _Sighing again, he shook his head. _Fool. I'm not equipped for that, at the very least not ready, at worst… _Caden shook his head resolutely. "I'm not the right role model," he said finally, voicing his mental conclusion. His eyes looked over to see Hawk's slightly disappointed expression. "Not yet, anyway. Too absorbed in my work to properly raise children, and besides…" He shrugged. "Who would I marry?" The answer came to him instantly, but he shoved it aside as quickly. _She's not mine anymore. She has Trevor, and she's happy. She was practically gushing over him the last time we spoke over the phone._

When Caden looked over at Hawk, he could see that the same thought had occurred to him, and rushed to keep him from saying it aloud. "Don't," he warned gently. "Just...don't. There may come a day when our pursuits, our duties, don't keep us apart, but…" Drake shook his head again. "I'm not gonna hold my breath, and I'm sure as hell not gonna make her wait for me." _Even if it breaks my heart,_ he thought as he turned away toward the stairs.

"I know," Hawk said to his back. "You're far too noble to do that."

Drake could almost swear he heard mocking in the Bot's voice, but he ignored it and started walking up toward his room. "Good night, Hawk."

"Good night, Caden."

…

1 week later

Late afternoon

"Come on, man, you got this, you got it!"

"On your left!"

"Saw him!"

"Well, your shields are gone, so little good _that_ did you."

"Really? Who has the best kill-death spread between the two of us?"

Hawk scowled. "Can't argue with _that_ logic." Much as he wanted to, the Bot couldn't argue against Caden's assertion. It was a cold hard fact that his nineteen-year-old partner was summarily thrashing his score in Halo: Reach's firefight mode. _Well, _the Bot thought with a scowl, _you can't blame me for being a little behind. This controller is_ tiny_, and deploying my holoform diverts crucial processing power. _Hawk was making lame excuses for himself, and he knew it.

Drake laughed as his partner succumbed to yet another Elite sword charge. "You know," the boy mocked, "for an Autobot close quarters specialist, you kinda suck at close quarters."

Hawk mock glared at him. "I wouldn't if this game's close combat system weren't so…" He performed a few Google searches at lightning speed to find the appropriate term. "Broken."

Caden cracked up at the million-year Bot's usage of slang, distracted long enough for his Spartan to be blasted to bits by a faraway Wraith. "Dang," he complained gently with a grin, picking a heavy weapon loadout as he waited for respawn. Looking over at his guardian, Drake could tell that despite his griping, Hawk was actually having a good time, and seemed to be enjoying himself more than usual. It wasn't the first time that they'd stayed up late playing videogames until the small hours, but it seemed like something had happened to make the infiltrator much...looser. Much more relaxed. Shifting his attention back to the game at hand, he focused on the battle and, with a few more deaths from Hawk, claimed victory from the jaws of defeat.

…

5 minutes later

"Hello?"

Hawk looked up at Caden, returning his thoughts to the deep discussion they were having over the Bot's Star Wars upset. "Oh, sorry. Got a lot on my processor."

"Like what," Caden asked, crossing his arms. The Bot looked pensive, unusually so, and Drake was about to drop it, fearing the subject was personal, when Hawk spoke up.

"It's...Cybertron. Before the war, and during it. My participation, on both sides."

Caden nodded his understanding. He had seen Hawk just...space out on multiple occasions, though never on a mission. When the chips were down, he was perhaps the most focused of them all, but in private...his private life was another matter entirely. There were days that he would drop his charge off at home, then drive off throughout the area within a certain radius, maintaining his distance and getting time to think while staying close enough to help should anyone try to bother his friend. And then there were rare moments like this, where he would just drop out in the middle of a conversation, and those were the times that Caden paid special attention, as the only thing that could make him do something so against his sense of courtesy was his past life.

"I see," Caden said after a few moments passed. "Anything in particular?"

The holoform fidgeted for a few moments before responding. "I had friends, before the war. Some of them died as collateral damage, some joined either side. Most stayed neutral even after I didn't. One in particular…" Hawk let out a long sigh. "She was special."

A small smile crept to Caden's lips at the thought of this particular Bot having a sweetheart, and he immediately produced several theories on what she was like before actually asking. "How do you mean?"

Hawk's expression turned distant, reminiscent, almost dreamy, the holoform fizzling once or twice as his focus drifted away from maintaining the projection. It resolidified as he answered. "She and I were...close." He rolled his optics at Caden's knowing smirk. "Not like that. Not...yet, anyway." He sighed. "She was a gentle spark, didn't believe in fighting, no matter the cause or faction, so...when I joined the Decepticons…"

"She flipped out," Caden finished.

Hawk looked down and away mournfully. "Yeah." They were silent a long time.

"Did you ever speak to her again after that?"

"Once," the Bot said, his expression growing more pained. "When the war had finally gone global, covered every corner of Cybertron, the last of the Rogues were offered safe haven among the Autobots, with no pressure to join the fight. Optimus' idea, I'm told." He shook his head. "Anyway, she was in Iacon when the tide turned after my defection, and when it turned back against us."

"Why didn't you ever talk to her?"

Hawk shook his head. "I know I should have, but...I'd done so many terrible things in Megatron's name that I...I just couldn't face her. I knew there would be no accusation in her optics, only pity, but...that alone would have dealt me a much heavier blow than accusation." He looked at Caden. "I believe you humans have a saying about such situations. Something about heaping burning coals?" Caden nodded his acknowledgement, getting the reference easily, and Hawk turned away again. "Well, anyway." He sighed, knowing his next words would hurt. "Megatron turned the tables on us using a dangerous-and once believed nonexistent-weapon: dark energon." Caden raised his eyebrows in question, but stayed silent.

"The substance is a corrupt form of our life-giving energon, said to be the 'Blood of Unicron.' No matter what it is in actuality, dark energon gave Megatron immense power, allowing him to equip his bombers with extremely destructive warheads, increase his own strength and regeneration, and even—" the Bot shuddered with the memory, "—even raise the dead."

At this, Caden stared at him in shock. "Wait, you mean he had a supply of stuff whose power could resurrect Transformers? Like the Matrix?"

Hawk shook his head slowly, his expression growing even more grim. "No. Not like the Matrix. Dark energon is the anti-spark, anti-energon. When used on living Cybertronians, it gives increased strength, durability, regeneration. It even enhanced the weapons you already have. When used on the dead, though." He shook his head again, scowling. "When used on the dead, it raises them as a shadow of what they once were. Worse, a perversion. A mindless, undead Terrorcon raised for only one purpose: to serve the twisted will of whoever brought it back."

"Megatron."

Hawk nodded. "Not even the dead were safe from his warmongering." His eyes turned red as his holoform simulated tears. "Her dwelling was one of the first to be hit by the bombers. She never stood a chance, but…" Caden's eyes widened in horror at where he knew this story was going. "Megatron brought them all back when he entered the city. The first ones hit, anyway. He had to conserve his supply of dark energon, after all." Hawk chuckled derisively, bitterly, hatred laced through the sound. "Always was about efficiency. When I was separated from my unit and it became very clear I wouldn't be any help on the front lines, I went to find her. What I found was...it wasn't right." He shook his head, taking a ragged breath as the red in his eyes intensified and pseudo-tears gathered. "It was an atrocity, a corruption of everything Cybertronian...of everything that made that femme...her.

"You know what she said to me through that corrupted shell, after all the time we'd been apart and estranged? 'Please.' That's it." The Bot's fists clenched tightly in his lap. "So I killed them. I killed them all. Every one I found, I took apart, piece by piece. Dissection was the only way to put them down, you see. Whatever wasn't cut off from the main body, from the spark, would just keep going, no matter how much damage you did." Hawk took a few more shuddering breaths, his scowl deepening, and he looked at his open hands. "My blades tasted more death that day than I ever wanted in a lifetime, and it was all out of...mercy. To put them out of the misery that Megatron had raised them to." He looked back up at an understandably perturbed Caden. "That's why, in a way, I'm glad we didn't reconnect." His optics drifted back toward his hands. "It would've been that much harder to kill her if we had."

"You would think so," Caden said finally, still chewing the story over, "but you being close to her again would have given you a greater sense of relief when you had." Hawk stared at him, confused and unbelieving. "Think about it. You two would've had a life together, however brief, and when it came down to it…" Drake sighed and looked away from his partner's intense gaze. "Let me put it this way, when you faced her, would you have wanted anyone else to give her peace?"

At this, the Bot looked away, bitter, melancholy realization settling into his spark. "No."

"Exactly. In a way, that was the greatest act of love you could give her. To keep her from Megatron, from an undeath that went against everything everything she stood for in life. You saved her, Hawk, and...if she is still alive, somewhere in the Allspark, I know she understands why you had to do it. And I know she forgives you. For everything."

Hawk's spark throbbed painfully, and he clutched his chest. "How—how could you possibly know?"

"I know you, and I know the kind of person you'd 'fall in love' with."

"And how is that?"

"Because," Caden sighed, "it's the kind of person I'd fall in love with. The kind of person I _did _fall in love with." They were both silent for a long minute. "I'm sorry," Drake said sympathetically, laying a hand on the holoform's shoulder comfortingly. It was a long time before either of them moved apart from breathing.

"I-thank you, Caden." Hawk sighed. "I've never spoken of this to anyone."

Caden blinked and felt his heart wrench a bit. "Bad move, my friend. I know better than anyone how much that hurts you in the long run."

The Bot nodded. "I know." He stood slowly, breathing deeply and striding toward the garage, pausing at the doorway to turn his head toward Caden. "Thank you for listening...and for understanding. You have no idea how much peace you've given me."

Caden nodded to him slowly, his expression all grim understanding. "I have some idea, actually. Get some rest."

"You know," Hawk said, turning his "body" toward him, "I don't actually need to recharge for several days. Cybertron's daily cycles were a lot longer than that of Earth, so..." He shrugged.

Drake shrugged back as he turned toward the stairs. "Just an expression, I guess."

Hawk nodded. "Well, you too, then." The partners turned away from each other to settle into their respective resting places, only one of them sleeping, the other wide awake, contemplating everything Caden had told him.

…

1 month later

10:35 PM

Buffalo Billiards, Washington, DC

"Aw, come on!"

Caden grinned at Lennox's exasperated interjection, seeing as how the nineteen-year-old spy had almost cleaned the deck of their pool table in one long turn...again.

"Can't touch that," Epps said, grinning stupidly behind Will, earning him a glare from the major.

"Well, you're right about that," Lennox responded with a roll of the eyes. "In fact, I've hardly touched a pole since he let me go first our first game."

Drake smiled even wider as he launched the cue ball at the final 8-ball, knocking it into a crazy zigzag around the table before it gently scooted into one of the side holes. Hearing Epps crack up again, clearly tipsy at the least, Caden straightened up and gave an almost mocking bow with a regal expression.

"Screw you," Will chuckled out as he forked over another five bucks.

"Who's putting the screws to my friend?"

Every eye at that table turned toward the source of the voice, but only one pair looked at it with some measure of dread.

"Hawk," Caden said, addressing said Bot's holoform with a cross of the arms, "fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah," his partner responded with an evil grin, "fancy that."

Drake bit his cheek and shook his head slowly, turning to the proprietor to give him the five-dollar fare for another game. "You _do_ know how to play this, right?"

Hawk nodded and kept smiling. "Of course. I looked it up."

Lennox looked between the two of them, understanding the reason for their sudden staredown after a few moments. "I propose a new rule," he spoke up, stepping between them, "since neither of you is likely to miss. Two shots a turn, max, no matter how many right you hit in." They both nodded agreement. "So, what's the bet?" Hawk smirked wryly, as if he was about to make a joke at Caden's expense, but the human spoke first.

"Not money. He doesn't need any, and I feel like this is going to be the last game. So…"

"Humiliation," Hawk finished immediately, the same evil grin plastered on his face, growing wider at the suddenly fearful look in his partner's eyes. "You get a dayjob for a month, working for Lennox and Epps."

"Doing what exactly?"

"Oh, you know, cooking, cleaning...base chores. Oh, and car washes for Sideswipe."

Every human there visibly winced at the last demand. "Ouch. That hurts, partner. That hurts real bad."

The holoform shrugged and crossed his arms. "If you're too scared to take on a job, that's okay. I know how much you hate working for anyone else." It was a dare he couldn't refuse, and Hawk knew it. Caden's professional pride was on the line.

"And what humiliation do you have to suffer if you lose?"

"Hmm...how about…"

"Posting the recording I made of your last Firefight session to the NEST secure server." _Oh, I'm good, _was the only thought on Caden's mind as he saw Hawk's holoform pale slightly. "The last...eight of them, actually."

"Including the—?"

"Including the Gruntpocalypse that you failed at so miserably." Caden smirked slightly at the way their places were now switched. A moment later, Hawk mirrored his expression.

"Challenge accepted."

Five minutes and several nerve-racking shots later, it had come down to the last three balls, and Caden was losing. All Hawk needed was a good swing at the 8-ball, and he was done. The spy grit his teeth and tried hard not to look at the smug way his partner was smiling at him._ I can do this. I can do this. _He took a deep breath, trying to find a way to make his two-shot turn work. _There's only one way. _Breathing deeply again, he leaned over the table and closed his eyes, his eidetic memory and supercomputer-speed brain going at a thousand miles a minute to run trajectory simulations. After a few moments, he smiled, not too widely or shallowly, a confident smile that sent a distinct shiver through his opponent's spark as Caden lowered his pole, aligned it with the cue ball, and hit it as hard as possible.

The white orb ricocheted off the far wall, then another at a 45-degree angle to it, its speed faltering only slightly as it streaked toward the two remaining striped balls and slammed them sideways, sending them in opposite directions and two corner holes. _One turn down, one to go, but one is all I need. _Caden belatedly glanced at the shocked expressions of Epps and Lennox, and took a good, second-long look at the wide-eyed, terrified mask on Hawk's holoform. The Bot clearly wished he could just vanish on the spot, but he couldn't for fear of causing a riot in the bar. _You'll just have to sit here and watch your ego's death certificate as it's signed. _Drake grinned confidently and hit the cue ball gently, just enough to send it scooting into its final resting place.

"You...slagger."

"Don't be a sore sport," Caden scolded with a grin. "I won fair and square, even by the amended rules," he added with a mock glare at Will, who he turned to and walked past toward the door, patting him on the shoulder. "Look for a few video attachments in your e-mails the next few days, gentlemen. I promise you won't be disappointed."

…

Ten minutes later

Caden laid his head against the car window, more than willing to let his partner drive the rest of the way home, as he knew the moping Bot would never let him take the controls. His thoughts drifted across a thousand different subjects, from the amusement he felt at beating Hawk at the one game he thought he could win to his slightly-suppressed feelings of loss toward Kara. He knew the girl would always be there for him, as a friend, and when he left Ukraine, he thought that would be enough. As he pondered it over the two-month stretch between then and now, however, he had realized that a "friend" was never enough where she was concerned. Kara was the love of his life, and he didn't make that distinction, that acknowledgement, lightly. He had three-plus years of blood, sweat, tears, and affection to make that decision.

Out of all the elements of his past, she was the one, by far, that he would never, ever let go of. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his encrypted phone and flipped through his contacts, alighting on the number he'd called just over a month ago after giving Ratchet Sam's body-scans and dialing it again. It rang for just over five seconds before the person on the other line picked up.

"Hey," she said drowsily.

"Hey," he responded wearily, "did I wake you up?"

"No...maybe. I haven't been asleep long."

Caden nodded, despite the fact she couldn't see him. "Sorry I called so late. I just...needed someone to talk to other than my car." The vehicle rumbled in annoyance, but Drake ignored him as a familiar laugh came over the call.

"Well well, talking to inanimate objects, are we?"

Caden smiled at the slight mocking humor in her voice. "Yeah, you know me. Always the strange one in our family." A long pause ensued.

"Yeah...family." Aria Bensen chuckled softly on the other end. "Still can't get used to you calling me that."

"Why not? I called your father that." An even longer pause came. "Sorry."

"Caden, how many times do I have to tell you that it's not your fault. No one could've seen that shot coming, not even you. And besides, you avenged him, and kept me safe. You did everything you could have to make it right."

"I know," Drake breathed out tiredly, his already melancholy mindset drifting easily to that night. _That cursed night. _The night that all hell had broken loose in New York City, when he took the fight to the Keystone in all-out war and he and his charges, all three of them, paid the price. Kara, then Janet, was kidnapped and whisked away to her father in Russia. Caden thought she was dead, an impression that broke his already fragile heart. Carl and Aria, though, they were the ones hit the hardest.

The girl had lost her sister and mother to the Keystone years before, and after all that hiding, all that time in Witness Protection, her father succumbed to their attacks on the night that his family's killer was annihilated with a single punch. In keeping with his record, Drakon had personally killed Carl, leaving a fifteen-year-old Aria well and truly orphaned. Caden and Janet had been her only family, and by the end of the night, it was just Caden. Caden, who had lost his entire blood family long before her. Caden, who lost all but one of his new family in one fell swoop. Caden, whose heart was broken and turned to burning stone, its one desire to punish and annihilate its tormentors. When she looked at her situation four months later, the girl realized that she was well and truly alone.

"Drake," she asked, concerned at the long silence.

"Yeah," he choked out distractedly, "I'm here."

"You have to let go of that night. I _know _you still have nightmares about it. You have to let go."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me."

"Ever think there's good reason why?"

Caden breathed out heavily. "Yeah. Ari...I miss her. I know she's just one phone call away, but...I miss her more than I can even explain."

"I know. She's a part of you."

He nodded. "She is. A part that I need, and not as just a friend…"

"But?"

"But the distance is too much. Not just physically-emotionally, professionally. She and I are worlds apart right now, and if we're to have any chance of being together in the future, I need to rectify that."

"Drake, stop it. Stop right there. You don't have to rectify anything. You have to do your part, and no more. It's not your job to bridge every gap, to mend every fence. If she feels the same way about you that you do about her, she'll come back to you, meet you halfway, and, hopefully, find herself pleasantly surprised to find you already waiting at that halfpoint."

Warm relief coursed through him at her words, and an inexplicable measure of peace settled on him. "You...you're right." He exhaled sharply, a small smile coming to his lips. "I'll be ready when she is, I'll make sure of it. Thank you, Aria. You have no idea how much I needed to hear this."

"Yeah yeah," she said, mock annoyed, her grin apparent over the connection, "so when are you coming to Florida?"

Caden rolled his eyes and smiled wider at her sudden and welcome change of topic. "Never. I told you, I don't like humidity."

"Pansy," she spat out humorously after a long silence.

"Brat."

"Elephant."

"I resent that. Bitch."

"Jerk."

Drake smiled at the sudden appearance and horrified expression of his guardian's holoform in the driver's seat, breaking into laughter along with Aria. "See, that's what you get when you eavesdrop on me. I wasn't kidding about being the strange one in my family."

Hawk arched an eyebrow, tapping into the call so Aria could hear him as well. "Ever think that maybe you just have a strange family?"

"Only every day…" Caden's laughter petered off to a wide smile as he leaned back in his seat and put the phone to his ear again. "Thanks for talking, Ari. I better get off before my guardian here has a spark attack." He smiled wider at Hawk's scoff.

"All right, Cade," she responded, her smile still audible. "Sleep well, you."

"You too," the human responded gently, thumbing the call off and leaning back in his seat, enjoying the silence and darkness of the last few minutes before getting home. _Family...is more than blood._ He looked over at the Autobot symbol on Hawk's steering wheel, the holoform having vanished. _And more than energon. _He loved that femme, whoever she was, and though he never got as close as he wanted, he knew how much she meant to him, and she knew it too. His last act was to separate her from the cruel world he and the rest of his was stuck in. Is_ stuck in. As Arthur Holmwood saved his wife from eternal servitude under Dracula, he saved the one person he loved most from eternal torment under Megatron._

Caden patted the seat next to him lightly, affectionately. "I'm glad we met, partner." The engine rumbled, but otherwise, Hawk made no response, clearly understanding and appreciating the solemn quality of the moment.

* * *

AN: And that's all for the filler chapters, people. Next entry will have another original character introduced, a couple of them, actually, and another story arc begun. There will be multiple story arcs over the next few chapters, some of them seemingly unrelated, but everything will come together in the end.

A few pop culture/movie/show references in this chapter. Caden, like me, is a big-time Hollywood and videogame buff.

First scene features the iconic "father reveal" from Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back, owned by George Lucas and *sigh* Disney. Halo: Reach and its awesome Firefight mode are owned by Bungie and Microsoft Games, I believe, and whoever else worked on the project, though they aren't coming to mind at the moment. Finally, near the end, the last two insults being traded back and forth between Aria and Caden are the trademark snarky "bitch," "jerk" exchanges between Sam and Dean Winchester in Supernatural.

Hope you enjoy this last calm, and look forward to the next entry. As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

None


	11. Elizabeth Hunter

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Mudflap

Skids

Que/Wheeljack

Jolt (Forgot to add him, sorry)

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Dreadwing

* * *

_Family...is more than blood._ Drake looked over at the Autobot symbol on Hawk's steering wheel, the holoform having vanished. _And more than energon. _He loved that femme, whoever she was, and though he never got as close as he wanted, he knew how much she meant to him, and she knew it too. His last act was to separate her from the cruel world he and the rest of his was stuck in. Is_ stuck in. As Arthur Holmwood saved his wife from eternal servitude under Dracula, he saved the one person he loved most from eternal torment under Megatron._

Caden patted the seat next to him lightly, affectionately. "I'm glad we met, partner." The engine rumbled, but otherwise, Hawk made no response, clearly understanding and appreciating the solemn quality of the moment.

…

1 month later

4:50 PM

Tyson's Corner

1 year after the death of the Fallen

Elizabeth Hunter was the baseline of what you might call a "normal" young, working woman. 22 years old, fresh out of college, currently employed in a clerical capacity at a manufacturing firm in Tyson's Corner. She started her workdays at 8:30 in the morning and got off at 4:40 in the afternoon. After work, she would either go home to her two-story house 22 miles away in Manassas, a cheap but homey residence that gave her respite from the outside world and work, or meet up with her best friend Chris Douglas in DC, where they would visit a few bars, maybe a nightclub or two on the weekends, and eventually come home by a combination of Metro and taxi, neither of them drunk enough to do anything they would regret the next morning.

On this particular day in early summer, she was recovering from a three-day flu that she had to cope with throughout the shipment of materials for a very important civil engineering project, logging and cataloguing every piece and material as it was shipped off. Liz, as most of her friends affectionately called her, wanted nothing more than to take a cab to her out-of-the-way home, as she hadn't taken her Toyota Prius to work today, not trusting her sick self behind the wheel, and pass out on the couch to a warm mug of lemon-honey tea and reruns of the Office. As a cruel twist of fate would have it, however, she would turn out making a few...unexpected detours before getting there much later than expected.

Liz strode down the sidewalk in the small city of Tyson's Corner, the familiar concrete industrial buildings absorbing little of the brutal summer heat and instead reflecting it onto their surroundings. Today, it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit, with 30% humidity. Not as suffocating as it could have been, but more than hot and humid enough to be uncomfortable. The woman tugged at her work shirt's collar, opening the top button to allow some breathing room as she approached a nearby bus stop that would get her halfway home. She was too focused on ignoring the heat to notice the sleek, bright red Ferrari parked just a block away, or the way it projected several unintelligible sounds to four nondescript cars parked on the same block of the street. Liz was too occupied in the waiting, in finding what little shade she could, in checking her phone for messages from Chris, to notice the way the cars' windshields became tinted, or look beyond the darkness of the windows to see that the vehicles had no drivers.

So when one of the cars, a charcoal-black Hyundai Sonata, drove up next to her and opened its door, revealing its absence of passenger or driver to her, she was too distracted to notice until a few seconds later...and still did a double-take before staring at the vehicle in shock. Suddenly, the car gave a rumble of annoyance and frustration, then anger as she started to back away. Anger turned to rage, rage to carelessness, and before Liz could will herself to breathe, the car had transformed into one of the nastiest-looking, 18-foot robots she had ever seen on the web or news, red eyes glaring back at her as its metal teeth bared and clenched. So Elizabeth did the only thing that made any kind of sense: she ran. Ran as fast as her legs could carry her and then some, her flats hurting her feet with the contact shocks they weren't intended to bear, adrenaline giving speed to her movements enough to cause the Decepticon following her to roar in frustration.

This only made her run all the faster, ducking into an alley and running to the other side. Another Con showed up in car form, and despite not seeing it transform, every nondescript vehicle she saw near her suddenly became a threat in her mind. Terror, sheer, unadulterated terror streamed through her, and her sprint lasted almost five minutes until she found herself running into a parking lot-with a fence on the other side. _Dead end! _she thought in a panic, her overtaxed lungs heaving to get oxygen circulating in her body. When she looked back, her heart nearly stopped at the appearance of the first Con, who was again glaring at her and striding over confidently. Glancing back at the fence, she tried to reason a way out, but there was barbed wire strewn across the top, and the only exit-and entrance, was blocked by an 18-foot robot.

Burning terror gripped her, and she stared at the Con with wide, fearful eyes as her heart pounded painfully in her chest. _I'm going to die...I'm going to die. _This thought kept running through her head, despite the fact that the Decepticon had made no threatening moves, only gotten close to her, its legs a mere six feet from her body. He could crush her with one flick of his finger-but those weren't his orders. Instead, he crouched down slightly and reached one clawed hand for her small, five-ten body. Just then, the roar of a powerful and heavily modified engine reached the ears and audio receptors of Liz and the Con, and both heads snapped in its direction as a custom-body SUV screeched toward the parking lot easily going 70 miles an hour. At the last possible second, the car braked and spun, its rear end smacking into the Con's legs as the driver masterfully hit the gas, turning the car so its undented front passenger door faced Liz. The door in question swung open, revealing a young man with sunglasses and inch-long black hair in the driver's seat.

"Get in!" he yelled at her insistently. She stood rooted to the spot, glancing from him to the recovering Con and back. "Please," he pleaded, "trust me."

Giving the now-enraged Decepticon one last look, she barely had to glance at its hateful red optics before lunging forward and leaping into the passenger seat, yanking her seatbelt into its holster with a click and slamming the door shut.

"Hold on!" her rescuer yelled as he floored the gas, causing the car to skid slightly as it accelerated out of the parking lot.

Liz stole a glance through the rear windshield to see the Con getting up and running toward them, transforming into its Sonata mode and giving chase. "What—what is that thing?" She shook her head, turning back to the man. "Wait, who are you?" She couldn't tell behind the sunglasses, but Liz could've sworn he raised an eyebrow at her. "What the _hell_ is going on?!"

The close-mouthed breath he gave out might've been a sigh. "That _thing _is a Decepticon, you know, the hostile alien faction that invaded our world three years ago?" He took her wide eyes as recognition.

"You mean, they're real?"

He rolled his eyes behind the safety of the sunglasses as he brought the car into a sharp turn that would've taken the axle off any lesser vehicle. "Yes, they're real, as are the robots that oppose them. All you need to know is that I'm here to help, and so are my friends. As for what's going on—_osik_!" The car nearly flipped over as he swerved to avoid a maniacal taxi driver. Taking a brief glance at his rearview mirror, he saw the same taxi get its rear end t-boned by a pursuing Con. "As for what's going on," he began again, voice agitated, "I have no idea. All I know is that I got a call about an energon spike here in Tyson's Corner, and since I was the closest one, NEST sent me to investigate."

"Wait," she said with a rough shake of her head, "NEST? Energon? What the hell…"

"Don't faint, and don't you dare hurl." He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm the onset of her panic attack. "I'm gonna keep you safe, I promise." Putting both hands firmly back on the steering wheel, he uttered a sharp curse under his breath at the usual horrendous 66 traffic, knowing that the pursuing Cons wouldn't think twice about tearing through traffic to get to them, killing hundreds in the process. Instead, he turned toward a back road, screeching his way away from Tyson's Corner and their pursuers at dangerously high speeds. The chase, all told, lasted about ten minutes, leaving a dozen cars totaled, one semi flipped, a tractor-trailer shattered with the impact of one of five pursuing Decepticons, and a good amount of skid marks where there had been none just an hour earlier.

Finally, it seemed like they had isolated themselves from the majority of civilian motorists, their high-speed game of cat and mouse taking them to the boondocks near Dulles Airport. As Liz's stomach did another flip at a skidding turn by her rescuer, she stared at the single oncoming car on the two-lane road, a gray sports car with chrome highlights in several places. As a big-time car enthusiast, her subconscious mind recognized the car's make belatedly, but her fear-addled conscious didn't care what kind of car it was, only that it might be a threat. Her driver's next actions, however, dissuaded her of this.

Lowering the driver-side window, he stuck half his head out and yelled, "Hawk!" at the top of his lungs. A slight twinge of relief strummed Elizabeth's nervous system at his recognition of the car, but what happened next renewed her fear twofold. The sunglass-clad man swerved into the oncoming lane, right into the path of the sports car, causing her eyes to widen to their max in terror at the imminent impact, their combined speeds over 200 mph as they streaked toward each other.

Less than 200 feet from a deadly head-on collision, time slowed to a crawl as adrenaline flooded the woman's bloodstream, her eyes staring as the vehicle's parts shifted and transformed into a wing-helmed robot that hand-sprung off the pavement and into the air just above the SUV. The driver braked hard and turned the car to the right, bringing it to a screeching stop as both of the SUV's human occupants stared at the scene behind them. The gray sports car had become a 20-foot nightmare with two metal blades protruding from its arms, planting both its feet on the front of an incoming vehicle as it fell from its handspring, causing it to cave in heavily, but not completely crumble, as was expected in a vehicle. The Bot used his still-forward momentum to spring off toward another vehicle, throwing a sword into its upper hull and drawing a weapon of some sort from his left hip.

The weapon spat out automatic rounds at an extremely rapid rate, chewing into the armor of the third of four Cons that had maintained their pursuit of the humans and transformed into their bipedal modes. Liz stared in awe and shock as the 20-foot Bot tore through the Decepticons, its right-hand blade spinning rapidly as it sawed the arm off one, then became immobile as it stuck through the shoulder of another, giving him the grip and leverage to throw the Con into the only other one standing. He performed a dive-roll toward the impaled car and retrieved his sword, which she noticed even at this distance had a notch in its underside, slashing both blades in the same direction to sever the gun-hand of another enemy robot. Tucking into another seamless combat roll, he ducked under a dagger thrust by the second-to-last Con and rose to his feet to duel them both at once, sword to dagger and sword to axe.

He kicked one in its knee, then slashed a blade through the neck of another, causing bright blue liquid to pour out of the wound, finishing the kicked Con by stabbing his right-hand blade through his neck widthwise, sending the thin blade directly between his neck and shoulders. The Con powered down for good as he retracted his blades and drew a single pistol from his right hip, aiming it one-handed at the last one's head with the flair of a cowboy and pulling the trigger, sending a single high-velocity round directly through the Decepticon's processor. The round left a smoking trail behind, as is common with high-velocity weapons, and the Bot twirled the pistol much like a cowboy before returning it to his hip subspace.

And then he strode toward them.

Elizabeth stared at the Bot, noticing for the first time that his "face" was covered by a silver mask that resembled the beak of a hawk, remembering what her driver had called him just before he'd transformed into action and making the connection. Suddenly, her brain registered a voice at her left, and she turned toward it.

"What," she asked, still in shock.

The man sighed gently. "I said, are you okay?"

Liz shook her head and looked down at her feet. "Am I okay?" Everything in her life had, in less than an hour, turned upside-down in a tangle of maniacal driving, mysterious rescuers, and both hostile and friendly alien robots. She looked back up at him and saw nothing but concern, even behind those dark glasses. "Well, I'm alive." Liz laughed nervously, breathing heavily a few times as her stomach did a flip. "I think I'm gonna be sick," she whispered out, feeling that saying anything louder would immediately cause her to hurl.

"Deep breaths," he said quietly, soothingly, putting a hand on her back as she hunched over slightly in nausea. "We're gonna keep you safe, okay? And we'll find out what all this is about, I promise." All she could do was nod in acknowledgement as she slowly straightened up after a few minutes. He turned to their Autobot rescuer. "Any signs of more?" The Bot shook his head, and the driver nodded, turning back to the young woman in his car. "We're gonna take you somewhere safe, okay? Just...promise not to freak when we get there."

She nodded dimly, noticing distantly as he pulled out a strange-looking phone and dialed a number, then talked hurriedly to someone named Lennox on the other end as he gently pushed on the gas. Elizabeth turned her head toward the Bot to see him take in the results of his handiwork for a few moments before smoothly transforming into his car mode and following them. _Lamborghini! _she thought, finally identifying the mysterious vehicle._ Lamborghini Embolado. _And then her mind went blank as she passed out from the events of the last half-hour.

…

45 minutes later

6:00 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

_She's taking this surprisingly well,_ Caden thought as he looked at the pale young woman currently speaking to Major Lennox. The major was asking her a series of questions about her professional and personal lives, clearly looking for any connections to the Cybertronians or any other reasons the Cons would possibly have to target her as Optimus looked on. Drake shook his head slowly at her still-bewildered expression. _She has no idea, and I get the feeling she won't, no matter what he asks her. _The boy walked over to his now-twenty-foot partner, the armor inserts having added three feet to his frame as he "put on muscle" during his recovery from the Ukraine incident.

"Hey," he called up to him.

"Hey," Hawk responded, nodded at him, arms crossed as he returned his optics to the woman.

"You have any theories," Caden asked, mimicking his posture and gaze.

The Bot shook his head slowly. "None. Whatsoever. I've already done a background check on the girl, and there's nothing of note in her job or family records to indicate that she's of any note to the Cons. Not even a distant relative."

Drake stared at the girl with intense eyes, taking in every feature and detail to try and discern her value to the enemy. The closer he looked, however, the more he realized what he was really looking at. Her dark brown, slightly shined hair hung down in loose waves, a slight curl to them as the locks draped over her shoulders and back. She was athletic, slim, obviously from good genetic stock, if her bodily structure and facial features were any indication. If it weren't for her residual fear from earlier events, he was sure she would be no paler than a New Yorker. And then, with startling realization, he understood why she looked so familiar. _Kara. She looks just like Kara._ And, for the most part, that assertion was true, from her build to facial features, to her long, dark hair. The only noticeable difference he could see at this distance was her height. She was two inches shorter than the current Keystone director.

When the conversation between Lennox and Elizabeth seemed to draw to a close, the major gave Drake a pointed glance, causing the spy to nod and stride over to them. When he got close, the girl gave him a sheepish look before turning her eyes downward, obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"Ms. Hunter," Lennox said, his voice official and professional, "I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Drake, our resident consultant, though I understand you two have already met."

She nodded and finally made eye contact with Caden, extending her hand. "Elizabeth Hunter."

"Caden Drake," he said, shaking the extended hand briefly before returning his arms to his sides, standing in a relaxed posture juxtaposed to the nervous woman in front of him.

"Mr. Drake," Lennox continued, "is one of the few non-military personnel who has ever set foot in this building, and if he thinks that you're important enough to add to that short list, I'll defer to his judgement. Since we haven't been able to find a viable reason why the Decepticons would target you, however, what happens to you now will be decided at his discretion."

Caden's eyes widened only slightly at the news before he recomposed himself. _Didn't see that coming._ "Now, I'm sure you've been asked this question multiple times in the past twenty minutes, but I need you to answer me truthfully and completely." The woman nodded sullenly. "What exactly does your firm do?"

"Well," she said, clearing her throat and guiding a loose lock of hair behind her ear, "they contract for several construction companies, private and publically owned. Essentially, we get the raw materials and assemble custom parts made to order, then ship them to the respective client."

"And what's your job in that process?"

"I monitor all the incoming and outgoing materials, raw and assembled. File the manifests, estimate costs, and perform other clerical tasks."

"So you would know what's being made and where it's going."

She shrugged. "Well, yeah, but I'm not the only paper-pusher with that job. There are at least another dozen at the Tyson's Corner office alone."

Caden nodded his head and pulled out his encrypted PDA-phone, quickly hacking into the firm's network using a Cybervirus forwarded to him by Hawk, then starting a search program in their records mainframe to verify his suspicions. Five minutes of uncomfortable silence later, his eyes widened and expression became grim. "I thought so."

"Thought what," she asked, a fearful expression on her face.

"Lennox, take a look."

The major complied and walked over to Drake, staring at the small screen and reading the record he'd discovered, his face changing knowingly. "You mean they—?"

"Yeah."

Will let out a long breath, one hand rubbing the back of his head. "Ms. Hunter, I'm afraid the situation just got a lot more complicated."

"How so?"

"Well, it seems you've...there was a project you oversaw the details to, about eight months ago. A local construction gig in DC?"

She seemed to rack her brain for it, trying desperately to bring up the memory of that project before Caden saw her difficulty and raised the PDA-phone to her eye level. She perused the document briefly before the memories came flooding back. "Oh yeah, yeah I remember that one."

"Well," Will said with a sigh, "it just so happens that the custom beams you recorded in that file—" he pointed to the hangar ceiling, "—are supporting the ceiling of this room."

Her eyes widened and face paled with understanding.

"You inadvertently left a paper trail to this place," Caden confirmed, "and I think the Cons are targeting you to get the details."

"But," she stammered, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, "but the address…" She looked at the PDA again. "The address is wrong. We're not even on the same street as where those materials were sent."

"You're right, but the Cons are nothing if not persistent, and something tells me that now they have a lead, all they need to do is keep following it and not even the bouncing trail we left to throw them off will deter them from discovering this place."

"Oh…" She slowly sunk into an offered chair, sighing and slumping over. _Pretty sure I know what's going through her head: "Why, oh why did I get pulled into this mess?"_

"Don't worry," Caden reassured, with an unusually gentle voice, "we'll protect you. I know better than anyone how the Cons act when they're hunting humans." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, pursing his lips before continuing. "Which is why you're going home."

"What," Will and Elizabeth asked in unison.

"Don't argue with me, Major."

"How can I not? If they know where she works, they'll know where she lives."

"Exactly." He locked eyes with Lennox and found only confusion there. "The best and fastest way to get her out of danger is to put her in it. Leave her seemingly exposed, then come down like a hammer on anyone who tries to touch her."

"So, using me as bait," Liz demanded indignantly.

Caden shrugged. "Essentially."

Elizabeth was fuming silently, glaring at her previous rescuer mistrustfully as Lennox actually pondered the Consultant's plan. Eventually, the major came to a decision.

"All right."

"All right," Liz asked, eyes wide with shock.

Will nodded. "Yes. But you're getting backup," he added, looking straight at Caden.

Drake smirked. "Took the words right out of my mouth. Who'd you have in mind?"

"I have someone in particular on standby," Optimus said, speaking up for the first time, startling Liz as he moved toward them slowly and crouched.

Caden's eyes widened. "Not you."

The Prime shook his head. "No, not me." His glowing blue optics shifted upward as he nodded behind Drake toward another door in the large hangar.

The humans and Hawk followed his gaze to the large door, eyes and optics widening as they gazed at a silver-and-black Autobot none of them recognized, their eyes tracing over his massive, 30-foot form before realizing what was so different about him. He had wings.

"An...Aerialbot," Hawk asked, confused.

"Not exactly," the new Bot answered in a thick British accent.

"Wait," Drake whispered loudly, "I know that voice." The Bot smiled at his narrow-eyed expression as the boy racked his brain for where he had heard it. _NEST audio records. Battle of Egypt… _His eyes widened in realization as he looked back up at the knowing, ageless smirk of the winged Autobot. "Jetfire?"

…

1 hour later

7:10

Manassas, VA

"So," Caden said awkwardly, approaching the presumed-dead former Con, his massive form hidden by the trees around Elizabeth's home much like Optimus was at Caden's.

"How did I survive," Jetfire finished when the boy stopped talking. Drake nodded. "Well, it's a year-long story. I assumed I's a goner the moment I tore out my own spark. I should've been. Optimus, though, he retrieved the Matrix of Leadership from that pyramid, and when he thought back to how the Witwicky boy brought 'im back, he got to thinking. It took a while to find all my parts, but 'im and his medic, they slaved at it, found everythin', including my spark, and got it back to HQ. For the next year, Ratchet slaved over assemblin' me a brand-new body using my partially depleted spark and various parts he gathered both from my old one and drones that he got from our dear friend Que."

"That's why Ratchet didn't have as much time for Hawk as he could have," Caden concluded.

Jetfire's nod confirmed the theory. "No one could know what was going on, _especially_ not the humans, no offense."

"None taken. If Galloway were still our liaison, he'd have killed to have a look at your reconstruction process."

The Aerialbot scoffed. "So I hear. A right arsehole, I'm told."

"Let's just say I'm very glad Lennox got him to skydive out a C-17 prematurely before I was ever consulted by NEST, otherwise I would've shoved him out the plane without a parachute." One look at the boy's face by both Hawk and Jetfire was enough to tell them he probably wasn't kidding.

"Yes, well, anyhow, once everything was assembled, energon flowing, all lines and armor intact, the body complete, et cetera, et cetera, Optimus opened his spark and brought out the good ol' Matrix of Leadership."

"Bringing _you_ back from the dead," Caden added with a smile.

"Exactly."

There was a long silence as Caden and Hawk pondered the story they'd just been told before Drake's grin widened and he looked back up at Jetfire. "So, I heard you were the original SR-71 Blackbird." He noted the way the Bot's chest swelled up with pride. "What do you transform into now?"

"Ya mean you didn't see during transit?"

Caden chuckled. "Um, no, all we heard was the roar of a jet engine, but that's not much of a clue."

Jetfire smiled, his new blue optics glowing with delight at the thought of showing off his new form. "Then watch closely, lads." The old Bot noticed the way Hawk bristled at being called "lad," despite the obvious eons that the Aerialbot had on him. Holding out his arms to the sides, he leapt into the air, his parts rearranging much more smoothly than they had when Sam and the others had reawakened him and a single jet engine activating with a deafening roar—pointing straight down.

"You're," Caden started, straining to yell over the loud noise, "an F-35?!" His eyes widened and he grinned widely. "Awesome!"

Jetfire transformed back into his bipedal mode, keeping his engine on his back and running to lower him to the ground gently. "Thought you'd think so."

Just then, the front door of the house slammed open, and a very angry Elizabeth Hunter stormed out.

"Uh-oh," Hawk muttered under his breath.

"Are you _crazy_?!"

"Um," the Bot started uncomfortably, "what exactly are you referring to?"

"The frigging _jet_ in my front yard!" Liz yelled out, pointing squarely at Jetfire. "How is that 'low-profile'?"

Caden crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. She noticed, and shut up right quick. "First off," he bit out, "we're miles away from anyone else. Secondly, it took this whole time to get you home on the ground, so if the Cons _are_ looking for you, we still have some time before they arrive. Finally, are you pissed that we might tip someone off to the fact that you're hosting two giant robots, or that the noise woke you up from a nap?" She stared at him blankly, flushing sharply as her mouth opened and closed several times. "The latter then." His expression softened, much to her surprise. "Okay." He turned to the Bots. "Let's keep it down. Jetfire, low-orbit surveillance. Hawk, stakeout mode."

The kid's partner groaned as the Aerialbot shrugged his massive shoulders and transformed again, his VTOL systems activating to lift him above the treetops before the engine angled horizontally, and he jetted off into the sky. Hawk's Lambo form was assembled behind a few thick trees on the girl's property, his motion sensors and optics keeping an eye out for anything suspicious as Caden strode up to the porch, a still-flustered Liz in tow.

"I'm sorry if that was a little inconsiderate," Caden apologized, his voice soft and sincere. "It's just...I thought that guy was dead, and...you gotta admit, his vehicle form is pretty badass."

Liz chewed on her lip before shrugging. "Yeah, maybe. I just prefer not to think about it."

"What, the Bots or the whole situation?"

"Both." She strode into the house, leaving the front door open a crack and stopping just beyond the threshold before turning her head to him. "You comin' in or what?"

Caden blinked twice before nodding and stepping forward, closing the door behind him to keep out the heat and flies. The house's interior, he noted, wasn't exactly messy as much as cluttered. She had obviously just moved in, as there were boxes, taped and opened, scattered everywhere. The paint on the walls was standard, plain, and nondescript, nothing like the immaculate design of his own residence. He silently reminded himself that not everyone had the time or money to do their own interior decorating...or even arrange for someone else to do it.

"So, tea or coffee?"

His head snapped to the question, and he thought for only a moment before responding. "Coffee please. Strongest stuff you have." The girl nodded from the kitchen and busied herself as Drake's thoughts wandered aimlessly for a few minutes. She returned to the foyer, where Caden was still standing, holding two steaming mugs.

"Sit down, please." She nodded at one of the sofas in the nearby living room, and he obliged her, taking one of the mugs and admiring the soft brown of coffee with cream and sugar.

"Thank you."

"I get the feeling _I_ should be thanking _you_, even if I'm not feeling particularly grateful."

Caden looked at her, and saw no sarcasm, only self-deprecation. The girl obviously felt like she was being unreasonable toward her protectors, but the situation was unreasonable to begin with, and Caden understood that. "You're not used to this kind of thing." He sipped the hot drink. "It's understandable that you might overreact a little."

She gave a humorless laugh. "It's funny. Three hours ago, I was just a girl. Just a girl out of college, with a normal job and a normal life. Now I'm a target for frigging aliens." They were both silent for a few moments.

"I won't pretend to know what you're going through, Elizabeth. My life's never been what you'd call normal, even _before _they came to our world." He chuckled. "And yeah, it does take some getting used to."

Her eyes, which he noticed were a startlingly deep green, another difference between her and Kara, locked with his. "What if I don't _want_ to get used to them? What if I just want this 'crisis' resolved so I can get back to my boring, normal life and never see any of you again?"

Drake wasn't sure why, but that question actually pained him. Just a bit. "Not to be insensitive, but...whether you want that or not is irrelevant. Like our planet, the Decepticons have taken an interest in you, and they're nothing if not persistent. I would know better than anyone." She looked at him, confused. "I'm a target too. The only difference between us is that unlike you, I have no idea why they're so interested in me."

"And you're a kickass driver," she added with a small smile.

He smiled back easily and shrugged in mock modesty. "Just part of who I am. Not everyone is me, though; you're not me, which is why we're here to help."

Liz looked away, lost in her own thoughts for a while as Caden drank the last of his coffee. "So what happens now?"

"For now, we wait. Tomorrow, you go back to work, where we'll watch at a safe distance for anything suspicious."

She shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess." Her green eyes darted around the house and she seemed distracted for a moment when the front door vibrated with three resounding knocks.

Caden put a finger to his lips and stood up silently, making his way to the door and peering through the peephole. _Looks human enough, but when has that meant anything? _In a flurry of movement beyond anything a normal human was capable of, Drake swung the door open, swung the "guest" into the house, and pressed the blade of his knife to his neck, his body shoved against a wall. Liz was shrieking at him, and the man was staring at him wide-eyed, hands up in surrender.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Liz screamed at Caden, who narrowed his eyes at her in question. "That's Chris, he's a friend! He's my best friend," she explained, more quietly, accepting that he had the final say on what happened.

When Drake looked back at "Chris," he noticed that the blade of his knife had dug into the man's neck ever so slightly, leaving a small trickle of blood running down his skin. _Pretenders don't bleed, and neither do holoforms. _He released Chris and wiped his knife on a nearby napkin, then sheathed it. "Sorry about that," he said, turning to the man. "Security measures. Had to make sure you were human."

Chris' eyes widened. "Make sure I was human? What the hell else would I be?"

"Chris," Liz started softly, "there's a lot that happened today, and...it'll take some time to explain—"

"No," Caden cut in. "This isn't just some high school drama you can whisper in the ear of a friend. This is serious, government clearance-worthy." Drake actually couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. In her position, he'd say, "Screw you," and tell the man anyway. Realizing this, with a sigh, he added, "So make sure none of the others find out he knows."

Elizabeth's face changed with visible relief, and she sat down with Chris, explaining the events of the day in vivid detail, as well as the predicament she now found herself in. By the time he left, it was around 10:30 at night. When he was gone, Caden piped up for the first time since their door confrontation.

"Is it common for this guy to show up at odd hours unannounced?"

She looked at him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Didn't you hear in our… discussion?"

"Well, no." Caden shrugged. "Felt wrong to eavesdrop on a conversation between friends."

Liz smiled slightly. "Well, thank you for that, but...he said that some of my coworkers spotted me running down the street madly, but couldn't figure out why, so they called him and told him to check up on me, see if I was okay."

Caden nodded knowingly. "Gotcha. So...best friend, huh?"

The girl smiled wider. "Yeah, known him since high school. He got me my first date."

"So you two aren't…?"

"No." She shook her head. "He's like a brother to me. All I've ever seen him as, anyway."

They both stopped talking after that, and when Liz went to bed, Caden went outside and slept in Hawk, waiting until the morning to continue their protection detail.

…

Next day

11:26 AM

Tyson's Corner, VA

"Got him!"

Caden nodded into his earpiece as he gunned the engine of his custom SUV and gave chase to the lone red Ferrari that had given off a sharp spike in energon readings, Hawk angling for another intercept. Both the hunter and hunted turned a corner onto a three-laned side street, the Lambo pulling out of an alley to cut the target off. The Con's parts shifted, and his vehicle mode shifted to Stealth Force, allowing him to jump to the second level of a parking structure and keep driving.

"Frick! Hawk, can you follow him?"

"Affirmative." The steel-gray car shifted similarly and mirrored the Ferrari's move, giving chase and keeping the Con's GPS location posted on Caden's PDA.

Drake screeched down the street, rounding another corner in a drifting turn and smelling the familiar odor of burnt rubber as he pushed his vehicle to the limit. It was almost a full minute before he got within sight of their target again, and they gave chase, the Decepticon's vehicle mode fast enough to keep both of them at bay as he tried to make good his escape. "Enough of this," Caden muttered before activating his earpiece at another frequency. "Jetfire, roadblock."

Five seconds later, the empty stretch of pavement the Con was driving toward exploded in a ball of fire, which was quickly dissipated when a gold "shimmer" emanated from the exact same spot, leaving a silver-black Aerialbot with a missile launcher mounted on his left arm and a plasma repeater in his right hand. "Now," the Bot said in his thick British accent, single-engine jetpack causing him to hover threateningly, "let's not do anything rash, shall we?"

The Ferrari had long come to a stop about 200 feet from Jetfire's landing zone, and both Caden and Hawk were behind him on foot, leveling weapons at his vehicle mode. Only one thought went through the Con's head, and it was one he voiced.

"Scrap."

…

30 minutes later

11:58 AM

NEST blacksite near Tyson's Corner

"There are two ways we can do this, Knockout."

The red, vain Decepticon stared at his captors with contemptuous optics, struggling uselessly against his bonds as the human and Autobot stared him down with mirrored expressions and postures. "Look," he responded with a roll of the optics, "it's nothing personal. I just needed the human for a little...side project of mine."

"What project," Hawk hissed out, grabbing his collar and yanking their faceplates close to each other. His other fist raised.

"Now wait just a minute—"

A loud metal clang shut Knockout up...and left a sizeable scuff-mark on his facial paint job. "How," he stuttered out, voice shocked, "how dare you? Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find this shade of red?!"

Caden found it hard to not snicker at the reason for Knockout's indignation, and instead shifted his focus to the now-opening door in their large interrogation room. He strode over to it, seeing that Hawk could more than handle their "guest." "Beth," he said calmly.

"Caden," she said back, wrapping her arms around herself in a self-protective gesture as she looked over at the trapped Con. They both walked over to the scene of interrogation, getting both Cybertronians' attention.

"Well look what the cat dragged in," Knockout said smugly, smirking at Liz.

Hawk shut him up with another well-aimed punch that stripped off a decent amount of paint. "You wanna tell her what you had planned, Con? Because something tells me she'll be a Pit's worth more vengeful than me, considering you tried to have her kidnapped. After all, the humans have a saying: hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Knockout actually laughed at that. "So _what_? She's weak, a squishy. What could she _possibly _do to me?"

Hawk smirked menacingly and nodded at Caden. "You've seen what my partner can do. And besides, all she has to do is say the word, and _I'll_ be her instrument of revenge." Neither human could tell if he was bluffing.

Knockout, evidently, meant to find out. "You wouldn't. You _wouldn't_! You're—you're an Autobot."

Hawk shrugged. "Former Con. I still have a knack for...rough interrogation." He pounded his palm with a closed fist. "And let's just say the paint was the least of what got scratched."

Knockout's optics widened to their max. "All right, all right! The femme…" He glanced at each of the room's occupants nervously. "The femme is a car enthusiast, so...she knows where to get a very special paintjob." They all stared at him incredulously, but Elizabeth was the only one to speak up.

"You," she started, almost in a whisper, "tried to have me kidnapped...for a _paintjob_!" _If looks could kill,_ Caden thought with a barely suppressed smile. Liz stared at Knockout for a few more seconds before she turned to Hawk. "Can you kill him?" Her voice was entirely matter-of-fact.

Hawk shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. Might just be a waste of my efforts."

"But it'll feel damn good."

Caden looked between the two of them, then at Knockout, who looked downright terrified.

"Wait, wait, wait, you can't just...kill me! I—I'm a prisoner of war. I have rights!"

"Well, ordinarily, that would be true, but…" Hawk smiled evilly. "No one knows you're here except the people in this room and Jetfire, who's currently back in low orbit, and something tells me he won't care if you just decide to vanish."

"Well...that's not _exactly_ true."

Just then, a wall of the cell exploded, and a black-and-silver military jeep stormed through the hole, then transformed.

"Breakdown," Hawk snarled. "Should've known you would be looking for this slagger." He motioned to Knockout. "You two are practically joined at the hip."

Breakdown smirked. "Pretty much." A high-explosive plasma cannon deployed at his shoulder, gently glowing with energy the same color as his gold eyes. "Let him go and I won't slag the lot of you."

Hawk raised an eyebrow and sneered, drawing his pistols in a flash as Caden went for his Daggertail. "Like you have a choice."

A tense moment passed before Knockout spoke up. "Why would you even _want_ to keep me here? I mean, it's not like you particularly appreciate my whining." All present except Breakdown gave a snort of agreement. "So?"

"You're Megatron's chief medic, and a scientist. You have access to secret projects that we'll likely want to know about."

Knockout actually laughed at that. "Really? You think Megatron would trust me with anything near that important?" The Con laughed even harder. "Between my...proclivities for aesthetics—"

"More like obsession," Caden muttered.

"—and very outgoing personality, Megatron finds it better to leave secret projects to Scalpel...and Shockwave."

Hawk's optics narrowed, but he didn't turn toward Knockout. "Why should we believe you?"

He laughed again. "You shouldn't. I _am_ a Con, after all." The red Cybertronian nodded at Breakdown, who collapsed his cannon. "But would a Con with something to hide lower his weapon when faced with an Autobot?" There was a long pause.

"I still think we should kill him for being a pain," Liz said, arms crossed, causing even Breakdown to smirk a bit.

"I second that motion," Hawk added before recycling his energon. "But...you're right about one thing. I am an Autobot, and whether I like it or not, we don't kill unarmed prisoners." He lowered his pistols, and Caden followed suit. An understanding seemed to pass between them all. "Elizabeth Hunter." He turned to Knockout as she looked up at the gray Bot. "You lose her number, name, address, everything. She's not involved with this, and you're not going to _make_ her involved over a fraggin' paintjob. Or…" He deployed one of his swords to emphasize the point.

"I think I get the point," Knockout said, lifting his hands in their restraints.

Hawk uncuffed him, and he rubbed his wrists briefly before walking toward a guarded Breakdown. "One more thing," the Bot said to Knockout's back as he picked up a piece of rebar-stuck debris. When the Con turned around, Hawk dragged the most jagged edges of rebar across the most immaculate sections of his paint, grinning evilly at the shocked, agonized expression on the Con's face. He looked like he was about to faint. Breakdown just looked stunned. "That's all," Hawk added, still smiling as he dropped the debris and crossed his arms.

"I—my—you will pay for that someday, Autobot."

The two Cons, much to the human's and Bot's astonishment, left peacefully the way Breakdown came in, vanishing not far outside the secluded blacksite.

"Well," Caden said after a while, "that was interesting."

"You really think Knockout was just after a paintjob," Liz asked them both.

Caden and Hawk shared a look before nodding in tandem. "He's no intelligence officer," Hawk said, "and he was telling the truth when he said Megatron didn't trust him with big projects. Finding NEST headquarters? Definitely a big project, and one he'd leave to Soundwave, not Knockout."

"So the one person that could lead the Decepticons to your base through a material manifest is also the one that has access to a very special paintjob that a high-ranking Decepticon wants? Hell of a coincidence, if you ask me."

"True," Caden said with a shrug, "but Knockout's as vain as they come. We'll keep an eye on you, Beth, install some wireless surveillance, nothing invasive. I live only six miles away, so call me if you have any issues or suspicions. My number's already in your phone."

She stared at him openmouthed for a few seconds. "I—thanks." She looked down at her phone to check that the number was there. "Why are you doing all this for me? You don't even know me."

Caden and Hawk raised an eyebrow. "So what," the human asked. "You're not one of them, and you're not a criminal. That means you're someone worth protecting. And we're protectors, first and foremost." The partners crossed their arms in tandem, making Liz want to break out laughing at all the shared emotions and expressions they'd had over the course of the day.

"Well...thanks. I've never a guardian before."

Hawk scoffed. "You still don't. I only have the patience to be _one_ human's guardian." He sent a pointed look at Caden, and Elizabeth finally let go and laughed at the younger man's expense.

"Yeah yeah," Caden droned, "laugh it up, you two. Just remember, Hawk, you have to live with me, which means I can take all my frustrations out on you while you're recharging." That actually shut the Bot up, but Liz picked up the slack, causing Drake to sigh and shake his head at her. "Women."

…

5 hours later

4:45 PM

Manassas, VA

"You sure you're gonna be okay? I mean, I can stay with you for a few days."

"No, Chris. I...appreciate it, but, I'll be fine. And besides, I already have two guardians, despite what they may say." She smiled at her best friend, who had come to visit her when she left work early, fearing for her.

"Well...just be careful. They may have saved your life, but you don't know these people."

"You're right, I don't. Yet."

The brown-haired 25-year-old cocked his head at her before shaking his head slowly, a smile coming to his face. "You always were a people person."

She grinned. "Always."

"Take care of yourself, Liz." He hugged her tightly, and she returned the gesture.

"I will. See ya later." They broke the embrace, and she watched him leave the house's front yard in his silver Toyota Camry. Slumping onto her couch, Liz whipped out her phone and swiped through her contacts list until the name she was looking for came up. She dialed the number and waited as the other end rang.

"Hello," said the other end.

"Hey, I'm not in trouble, just...wanted to talk."

Shuffling came from the other end. "Oh. Okay?"

"I...I get that we're not friends. I'm...kind of your responsibility, and it's a little annoying—"

"Not really. Trust me, I'm used to looking out for other people."

She smiled a bit at that. "Well, regardless, the way you and your um, partner seemed to know each other's thoughts today...well it's pretty obvious you don't have very many friends."

A pause. "I have enough. Having a lot of friends is overrated."

Liz bit her lip. "Would you mind having one more?" She heard a slight exhale from the other end, the kind that came when someone breathed out sharply while smiling.

"Not at all."

* * *

AN: Hope that wasn't too random or seemed unrealistic in any way. I had to introduce Elizabeth. She's important. As you may have noticed, I brought in Knockout and Breakdown from TF Prime, mainly because they're the perfect polar opposite Cons. Loved their bromance in the show. They don't play a gigantic role, but, if you watched Age of Extinction, you'll know that after Dark of the Moon, there are around 12 Decepticons still operating on Earth, and I figured instead of just having nameless protoforms, I'd fill those slots with actual Cons. Oops. Might have just given away the fact that neither of them die anytime soon. Oh well.

Next chapter, we leave Hawk and Caden for the majority of the entry and get to the front lines of the war. Enter Optimus Prime, the greatest Autobot warrior in existence. Look forward to some heavy action in the next chapter and, as always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers Promotional Score - Are You Ladiesman217?: Elizabeth's run and Caden's rescue

Transformers: AOE - His Name Is Shane and He Drives: chase with the Cons and Hawk's rescue


	12. Diego Garcia

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Mudflap

Skids

Que/Wheeljack

Jolt (Forgot to add him, sorry)

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Dreadwing

* * *

"I...I get that we're not friends. I'm...kind of your responsibility, and it's a little annoying—"

"Not really. Trust me, I'm used to looking out for other people."

She smiled a bit at that. "Well, regardless, the way you and your um, partner seemed to know each other's thoughts today...well it's pretty obvious you don't have very many friends."

A pause. "I have enough. Having a lot of friends is overrated."

Liz bit her lip. "Would you mind having one more?" She heard a slight exhale from the other end, the kind that came when someone breathed out sharply while smiling.

"Not at all."

…

1 month later

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

1 year, 1 month after the death of the Fallen

Caden ran outside to the sounds of ambulance and police sirens getting closer to the building, snapping his head sideways to see a convoy of both around a familiar red-and-blue semi towing a trailer. The convoy entered the main hangar of NEST HQ a minute later, most of the police cars filing out within ten minutes. The spy wasn't able to reach the center of their staging area, as the sheer thickness of NEST and medical personnel was too much for even him to muscle through. As a result, he was forced to wait almost twenty minutes to get to Optimus, who he found crouched in front of his trailer, most of his face hidden behind his battle mask. Even without a good look at his features, however, Drake could tell he was brooding. A few theories ran through his head before he looked at the trailer and noticed that it wasn't the gift from Que, a mobile armory, but a normal storage container.

"Optimus," he said, looking up at the bot with a confused expression on his face, "what happened?"

The Prime was silent almost a full minute, his expression grim. "It was a trap, an ambush. I failed them." His optics were staring at the still-closed trailer, and Caden followed them. "I failed them all."

Drake strode up to the side of the container hesitantly, reaching for the latch on its side to open the side access door. He unlocked it and pulled on the sliding door, causing it to open its full eight-foot span. What he saw inside made his eyes go wide and heart sink with understanding.

"Oh...Optimus...I'm so sorry."

…

20 hours earlier

Indian Ocean, 10 NM outside Diego Garcia

"You situated okay, Optimus?"

"I am indeed, Major. This planet's oceans are...magnificent. A shame they are becoming more polluted each year."

Lennox crossed his arms and stared out at the blue expanse between them and the former NEST base. "Well," he said sarcastically, "that's human genius for you." Will put a finger to his earpiece and nodded. "We're coming up on the surge any second now."

Optimus nodded his head and strode over to the transforming trailer on the top of the naval aircraft carrier, tapping a series of buttons on the side to activate it, turning it from a rectangular container to a circular, flat-based armory, complete with extra melee weapons and a built-in flight system with a jetpack and attached weaponry. The previous day, energon detectors left at the now-vacant base had been triggered by a sudden spike 10 nautical miles off the coast of the island, causing NEST to deploy a carrier group that had been left in the area just in case. Optimus, the Twins, and a few dozen NEST soldiers were deployed and flown in via AC-130, and had been waiting aboard the lead carrier as backup, just in case the spike was no glitch in the system.

The Twins were confined to the lower deck and given strict instructions to hold off on their relentless bickering for fear of damaging the ship. Optimus had been waiting above deck, admiring the natural beauty of the ocean as they drew closer to their intended destination. Now, he found himself collapsing a shield and subspacing it in his back, pulling an energon sword that was longer and wider than the ones contained in his arms off the armory as well. The sword was subspaced in his back along with the shield and his trademark ion blasters. Brandishing one, Optimus ran a hand along its barrel before beginning routine maintenance in preparation for the possible engagement. Each blaster was equipped with two firing modes: rapid, repeating blasts of highly charged plasma bolts that can chew through most armors with ease, and compressed shells of depleted energon that serve as high-velocity projectiles capable of piercing tough armor.

_Capable of piercing most armor, anyhow,_ Optimus thought in reminiscence as he ceased maintenance and subspaced the weapon, his thoughts drifting to his second-to-last confrontation with Megatron. He and the other Autobots had discovered Sam Witwicky's kidnapping by the Decepticons, but only he and Bumblebee were close enough to make a difference. And they did. The Prime had crashed right through the roof of the abandoned factory in New Jersey, Bumblebee taking on Starscream while he assaulted Megatron, giving the humans time to escape. Both ion blasters were in rapid-fire mode for the majority of the fight, that is, until it was just Megatron, and then his left blaster went high-velocity. He had hoped that by firing it directly into the Decepticon leader's chest, the shot would go straight through, piercing his spark and ending his threat forever.

Instead, he was merely blown back several dozen feet...and lived to kill him. Optimus' spark thrummed uneasily at that memory. Some days, he wished he could forget how it felt to feel his spark stop, to die. Most of the time, it was an ever-present reminder of the fate that many had shared at Megatron's hand, and of the need to decisively end their war, and soon. The human death toll that had resulted from Decepticon aggression up to that point was staggering. Thousands upon thousands dead, with no end in sight. Turning his processor back to the present task, Optimus activated his trailer's flight systems, equipping the jetpack and dual ion cannons attached to it, the wings expanding at his touch and giving him increased flight control.

"All hands," the carrier admiral said over loudspeaker, "man battle stations. Energon signatures intensifying."

The Twins were coming to top deck, their neon green and red bodies shining brightly in the tropical noonday sun. Each took a ready stance, deploying autocannons on their right and left hands, respectively, mirror images of each other.

"Steady," Lennox said over comms. "Steady...it's...right below us."

With that, Optimus' optics widened in realization. "Major, it's a trap!"

Before anyone could even think to react, a gigantic, metal, worm-like creature emerged from the sea and slammed into Optimus, two clawed tendrils grabbing his chassis and carrying him off the side of the carrier, into the depths of the ocean. He struggled with the creature underwater, firing his ion cannons repeatedly into the tendril and severing it from the main body, which, now underwater, he had his first full glimpse of. The monstrosity that was the Driller was a metallic behemoth rivaling Earth's legends of sea serpents and other underwater monsters, except one far more advanced, and far deadlier. Several metal tendrils snaked toward the Prime, and he activated his jetpack to give himself an instantaneous boost away from them, firing as he moved.

"Major Lennox," he said over the comlink when he had gained enough distance, "what's your status?"

"Taking heavy fire! Crewman, put that fire out!"

"It's Seekas, yo," Skids cut in when it became clear Will was too busy to respond. "Dey attackin' the carrias, takin' out fightas before dey can launch."

"Understood," Optimus sent back, "I'm on my—" The Autobot leader's momentary distraction allowed the Driller to "gain ground" and close the distance enough to crisscross tendrils over his chest, squeezing hard and dragging him back down. Optimus groaned in pain, which quickly turned into frustration and determination. Triggering a powerful thrust from his jetpack, the Prime angled his body so his arms faced the enemy and activated the secondary fire mode of his ion cannons: two high-explosive missile launchers. Firing once with each, the two missiles streaked toward the Driller's "mouth," leaving a trail of hot bubbles in their wake before exploding on contact, causing it to roar in pain, an horrific sound audible even underwater.

The tendrils released Optimus, allowing him to jet toward the surface briefly before looking over his shoulder and spotting the Driller's entire body moving toward him, tendrils leading as its circular, serrated mouthparts rotated in opposite directions, showing precisely why it was called the Driller. The Prime adjusted his course horizontally, firing his main guns three hundred rounds a minute, taking off chips of armor and metallic teeth, but doing little to no damage to the superstructure. He took a dive, looping underneath the Decepticon monstrosity and twisting in a corkscrew to shake off a tendril that came too close. Another hundred rounds were fired in an attempt to slow the Decepticon down, and after another minute or so of fighting, it paid off, allowing Optimus to charge directly toward the surface. In a last-ditch attempt to stop him, the Driller threw up a net of tendrils in the jetting Prime's path, but Optimus just fired both weapon systems dead-center and accelerated, smashing through the web and breaking out onto the surface and into the open air.

His optics widened at seeing the situation above water. It was chaos, plain and simple. Decepticon Seekers were making relentless strafing runs of the carriers' flight decks, taking out any fighters and pilots who were brave enough to attempt a launch. Some had even landed on the decks themselves, or dropped in Pretenders to keep the soldiers on the ground busy. In short, the humans were outmatched and outnumbered. _They don't stand a chance, not alone. _Optimus' optics tracked over to the lead carrier, which seemed to be mostly intact due to the Twins' crisscrossing anti-air fire, and he decided that they were doing a good enough job that he could divert his attention elsewhere. The jetpack flared with glowing blue thrust as the last Prime jetted toward the tightest cluster of Seekers, who were currently pounding the hull of a smaller aircraft carrier at the edge of the group.

Two missiles impacted the chasses of Seekers in vehicle mode, tearing through their armor and causing them to nose-dive into the water. A burst from Optimus' ion cannons took another one down before they realized they were under attack from the air. Two Seekers twisted and rolled, corkscrewing toward their airborne adversary, firing guns and missiles in tandem. Optimus flew in a spiral, spinning midair to throw off their missile locks, then cutting his jetpack to throw off the weapons' heat-seeking capabilities. Angling the wings of his jetpack just right, he managed to glide directly between two missiles, causing them to arc sharply as he passed them, smacking right into each other in a brilliant explosion. Activating his jetpack again, Optimus rose to face the attacking Seekers and bombarded them with ion rounds, chewing through their wings and damaging their engines.

Arcing back upward, he spotted a trio of Seekers coming around for an attack run on the carrier below him and turned toward them, firing his weapons and landing several dozen glancing blows on their armor. They broke off and spun in his direction, following standard protocol, as he was expecting, to engage a more immediate threat. _Strange, _he thought as he weaved in and out of their formation, dodging fire left and right as he returned it, _more than a dozen Seekers are attacking the carrier group, and yet I do not see their commander among them. _He hadn't caught a glimpse of or any chatter among NEST or the Twins about sightings of Starscream, and it irked him. After all, Seekers did not perform a full-scale attack like this without a ranking officer leading them.

Taking down yet another jet Con, Optimus dove toward the water, fastening his left-hand cannon to the jetpack as he took the collapsed shield from his subspace, skimming the surface of the water and holding the shield between incoming fire and his jetpack, deflecting several dozen rounds that threatened to cripple his flight capacity. His right-hand cannon was hit and jammed when a bullet lodged in its reloading track, and he corkscrewed upward while subspacing the shield again, drawing his left cannon and firing a burst of auto-rounds at his pursuers while unleashing a missile from his right-hand cannon, whose secondary mode was still intact. The missile hit a Seeker dead in the nose, crippling him and sending him careening toward the water as a burst of ion rounds shredded another's lower fuselage.

One of his wings was hit, and Optimus was forced to alter his weight to compensate for the sudden change in air currents. Rising high into the air, the Prime took a headcount of the remaining Seekers, evidently just nine who had not either been shot down or broken off due to damage. Between the Twins and Lennox's men, the Decepticons had taken as much damage as they had given, and with Optimus' help, the tide had turned against them completely. Or so Optimus thought.

"Prime-O!" one of the Twins yelled out in a panicked voice.

"I'm here, Mudflap."

"We got problems on the main carrier, _big _problems!"

"Specify, soldier!"

"Shockwave!"

Optimus' optics widened. "I'm on my way. Stall him!" Prime arced off of his intercept course to get to the Twins and assist with repelling the infamous Decepticon assassin.

…

Two minutes earlier

Major Lennox shouldered a Stinger missile and aimed it dead at one of the jet Cons, waiting for the series of beeps to go steady, indicating a positive lock, then fired, sending an anti-air missile streaking toward one of the incoming fighters. The Seeker, as had happened the last five times, twisted away and performed several complex maneuvers to dodge the missile, but additional anti-air fire from another carrier perforated one of its wings and crippled its steering enough for the missile to strike true. A whoop was barely heard from a squad of soldiers behind him, as the deafening roar of jet engines was heard both overhead and on the deck as some of their own fighters were finally able to take to the skies. Will ran toward the stairs leading to the bridge of the main carrier and ascended five floors to get to the admiral.

"Admiral Trill, sir!" he shouted with a sharp salute.

"Major," the admiral said grimly with a return salute.

"What's the situation in the air?"

"All in all, we've only managed to launch a half-dozen fighters, but our pilots are givin' 'em hell. Between them and your robot friend in the sky, we're beatin' the bastards back. We've got 'em on the run."

Lennox smiled slightly. "Glad to hear it, sir."

Just then, the roar of an unfamiliar engine was heard throughout the ship, even in deep vibrations on the lowest decks, as a Cybertronian jet transformed and touched down on the carrier's launch deck, the one-eyed monstrosity it was replaced with firing his cannon repeatedly.

"What in Sam Hill—" was all the admiral was able to get out before a massive shockwave slammed through the glass of the bridge's windshield, causing jagged shards to cut through the analysts and crew closest to it. Lennox and the admiral were nicked once or twice, but were able to get behind cover to avoid the worst of it. "God dammit! Status report!"

"Sir," said an ensign who survived, leaning over toward the now-nonexistent window, "there's a big-ass alien down there, and it's tearing up our launch pad!"

"Lennox," the admiral said, turning to the major.

"I've got it, sir." Will ran back toward the stairs, putting a finger to his earpiece. "Twins, stall that thing long enough for us to target him with heavy weapons!"

"Ya got it, Lennie!"

Will rolled his eyes slightly as he leapt down another flight, his balance knocked off by another shockwave, forcing him to grip the rail tightly to balance himself before moving again.

…

"Awwww, shit!"

Skids could only silently agree with his twin, as the target of their attentions fired another concussive cluster missile in their direction, missing but also leveling another launch pad and the fighter jets on it. "Mudflap, crane pincer!"

The red twin nodded in response and ran toward an intact radio tower on the carrier, evidently mounted right next to the bridge tower, climbing up several dozen feet and waiting for his green counterpart to get into position and launch a grappling hook over the top of the tower, the head falling neatly over the other side as his twin leapt toward it, grabbing it on the way down and pulling his twin into the air, where they swung in opposite arcs. The maneuver was one they pulled against Devastator a year and a month ago, but Skids tried not to focus too hard on that, as his twin had accidentally shot him in the face in the process. Instead, they spun in perfect harmony, laying down automatic fire on Shockwave, who raised his shield in alternating directions to block their fire before returning it with some of his own.

When the massive Decepticon realized that his unguided weapon systems weren't enough to take the Twins down midair, he focused on what was keeping them there, and targeted the tower's peak with a cluster missile. The admiral and bridge crew never stood a chance, as the top sixty feet of the tower were consumed in a massive series of concussive blasts, sending debris and heavy amounts of rubble crashing toward the hatches leading into the tower, trapping any survivors inside. The explosion also leveled the anchor for Skids' grappling hook, sending both of them crashing hard on the deck. Shockwave grinned evilly as he closed the distance, his left-hand shield collapsing into a thick blade, his cannon glowing warmly as he aimed in their direction. The first shot knocked Mudflap back into a stationary jet, and the second was barely dodged by Skids, who returned fire briefly before finding his entire head in the grip of Shockwave's massive left hand.

"Leggo a me, Decepticreep!"

Shockwave dumped the small Autobot's body on the deck headfirst, leveling his cannon at his spark chamber when Mudflap slammed into him feetfirst, knocking him back a few steps as they both settled into their battle meld. The two much shorter Bots gave the large Con a run for his energon, alternating close combat with ranged attacks and grapple trips as they ran around him, attacking from opposite sides to keep him unfocused. Shockwave was eventually forced to redeploy his shield to hold one off while he took shots at the other, gaining enough leverage in the fight to jump backward and transform into his tertiary mode: a large, Cybertronian tank. The Twins rushed the slow vehicle from opposite sides, firing and dodging high-explosive fire as they went. Confidence rushed through both their sparks at the same time as they both pounced on Shockwave's tank form.

And had both their throats caught in his clawed hands.

The large Con squeezed tightly, then knocked their heads together and threw them against the deck, drawing his cannon off his back and pointing it squarely at them. Mudflap threw himself in front of his twin, and as a result, his right leg and most of his chest were blown off by the concussive round. They both shrieked, the red twin in sheer agony, the green in panic as he shoved his wounded brother aside and charged Shockwave with a combat roll. The Con grinned sadistically as the grief-struck Bot leapt toward him, heedless of the shield that bashed into him and dumped him on the deck backfirst. The shield collapsed into a blade and thrust down into his chassis, its side grinding painfully against his spark.

In that moment, both of them critically wounded, and no help in sight, the Twins realized in their sparks that it was over.

…

One minute earlier

Optimus was pushing his damaged flight systems to the limit, trying to reach the main carrier and Shockwave before being shot down, but the Seekers had broken off from all their other tasks to hunt him. He arced up through the clouds, cutting the engines and freefalling to dive-bomb the Decepticons in pursuit, firing everything he had at them. He had dropped his right-hand cannon when it ran out of missiles, as its primary fire mode was irreparably jammed, and drawn his right ion blaster to compensate. Both weapons were laying down dozens of high-heat ion rounds, shredding the tightly-clustered Seekers and punching a hole that allowed him to fly past, toward the carriers and the lead in particular, whose rear he was approaching. His optics widened in horror at what he saw from that angle. The top half of the tower was on fire, and completely collapsed. He could only hope that Lennox wasn't there when Shockwave hit it.

Arcing downward toward the ship, he was too focused on the Twins and their battle with Shockwave to notice a lone Seeker drop in behind him and launch a single missile that impacted his jetpack, sending him into a tailspin. Optimus couldn't spare the processing power to return fire, as all his energies were devoted to getting onto that carrier. As it was, he was already dropping at a dangerously fast rate, the inconsistent and sputtering thrusts from his jetpack barely allowing his near-shredded wings to slow his descent. In a miracle of circumstances and forces, the Prime was able to level off and glide toward the rear edge of the carrier, his jetpack giving out completely as he gripped the side hard, getting a better hold before pulling himself up and dropping the flight tech. His relief was only momentary.

When his optics looked up at the battle on the deck, they widened in horror as they met Shockwave's single, massive eye. The Con only gave him a sideways grin as he fired his cannon directly into Mudflap's spark, ripping out Skids' with his left hand and crushing it. _No…_

"No!" Optimus yelled, pulling the longsword from his back subspace and throwing it into Shockwave's right shoulder, crippling his cannon arm as he ran toward the Con, enraged fury controlling every fiber of his being. "I'll kill you!" the Prime roared as he deployed his right-hand sword and stabbed Shockwave through the lower chest, causing the Con to bellow in pain and rage as he headbutted the Autobot leader. Optimus barely staggered before drawing back one step, his sword deflecting Shockwave's blade and legs barely withdrawing him long enough for Shockwave to pull the sword out of his shoulder. Their next clash was not so much a duel as a one-sided beatdown, as the last Prime's spark was completely consumed with his fury, slashing his red-hot blade across Shockwave's left leg and his blade, the Decepticon assassin desperately trying to hold off the infuriated Autobot.

Optimus rolled behind him when he made a swipe at his head, retracting his sword into his arm and grabbing Shockwave's left wrist as he thrust the arm back toward him, anger giving strength to his bare hands as he held the arm out straight with his left while his right elbow smashed down on the joint between the Con's arm and shoulder. The arm was severed with the sheer force of the blow, and Shockwave roared in agony as he lunged away from the Prime, rolling crudely to face him as he raised his right hand and cannon-firing directly into Optimus' chest. The concussive shot blew him fifty feet across the deck and forced him to drop Shockwave's arm as he recovered with a backward roll. The Con mounted his cannon on his back and retrieved the arm before sprinting toward the side of the ship, heedless of the ion rounds hammering into his back from a roaring Optimus.

The assassin leapt off the side, seemingly toward the empty ocean, but was caught by the Driller, which ended its submerged existence to catch its master and slam Optimus back with a strong tendril, two other reaching toward the lifeless bodies of the Twins.

"No!" Optimus yelled out again, firing one blaster at the furthest tendril as he slashed through another with his left-hand sword. Three tendrils at once picked up Optimus and threw him against the remains of the tower as Shockwave added his fire to the mix, allowing the Driller to reach for the bodies, its tendrils' saw-blades severing the heads and claws grabbing them before retracting into the main body, both creature and master retreating into the deep. Optimus ran toward the edge and fired both blasters into the water uselessly before the rage began to subside and rational thought returned, along with the sinking realization that two more of his Autobot comrades were now one with the Allspark.

He strode over to their now-headless bodies, suddenly limp fingers dropping his blasters as he sunk to his knees in grief. A minute passed before he heard the frenzied reports over his internal comlink and put one finger to his helm to respond.

"Status report," he choked out.

"Optimus," Lennox gasped out from the other end, relief in his voice, "thank God! I'm trapped below deck with a couple dozen crewmen. We're inside the lower section of the tower, but the rubble has us trapped. We need an assist!"

"Understood, Major," he said sullenly.

"Optimus," Will said hesitantly, "what's wrong?"

The Prime didn't answer immediately, as he strode over to the buried doorway and began lifting the debris off. "It's...the Twins. They're dead."

…

Present

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Caden stared in disbelief at the large Bot in front of him. They had been sitting like this for almost an hour as Optimus gave his account of the attack, Drake's eyes drifting over to the trailer and its grisly contents every so often. They had called for medivac and reinforcements immediately after Shockwave and the last of his Seekers bugged out, several C-17s landing on respective carriers to take the wounded and fallen, as well as drop off additional crewmen to maintain the ships until naval reinforcements arrived. Optimus had insisted that he be the one to return the deceased brothers to base, and arranged for a carrying trailer to be stationed at their LZ in Virginia. The headless bodies were loaded onboard, and the trailer attached to Optimus' rear, the procession from before escorting them into DC.

Drake shook his head in silence, taking in the report with a numb mind. When Optimus was done speaking, though, the numbness ceased, and the human feelings took over. He stared at the headless and nearly unrecognizable bodies in the trailer.

"Optimus," he said, "you know my feelings on the Twins. I never particularly liked them. They were always too...undisciplined for my taste, but…" He shook his head mournfully. "They didn't deserve to die like this. Or at all, for that matter." When he looked up at Optimus, he realized there might be an additional reason for the Prime's melancholy expression. His eyes drifted back to the Twins and narrowed slightly in thought for a few moments before it struck him. "They...they were what you call younglings, weren't they?" Caden looked back at the Prime to see him nod stiffly. Drake's heart sunk in realization and understanding. "So every time someone like them dies, you feel one step closer to extinction."

"Yes," Prime responded quietly, lowering his optics.

Caden let out a long breath. "Optimus...I can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through. What you go through every day. I mean-" He gave a humorless laugh. "I mean, my species is seven _billion_ strong, and growing every day, despite the best efforts of the Decepticons, and us, if I might add. Unless some unknown catastrophe, like, say, the uncovering of another Sun Harvester, happens, I don't see that changing. I can't imagine what it's like to watch your entire race slowly slip into extinction."

"And," Optimus interrupted, his voice low, "I sincerely hope you never find out." The Prime continued to brood for several minutes before feeling slight amounts of heat trace up his chassis. His optics looked down to see Caden climbing up his bent right arm and seating himself on the Bot's shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"Little something we humans call 'sitting shiva.' Seven days of mourning the lost." He looked back at the Twins' bodies. "I may not have known them that well, but you did, and if you're hurting…" Drake gave out a sigh as he sat down and leaned back against Optimus' right exhaust pipe. "Well, I'm ready to do my part."

Optimus looked away from him, back at his dead comrades, and stared at their lifeless forms as other Autobots and NEST personnel filed into the large hangar, Hawk among them.

"We're all here for you, Prime," said Ratchet, who sat next to his old friend as the other Autobots made a ring around the trailer.

"Thank you, my friends."

And almost the entire base stayed with him, mourning the loss of their brothers-in-arms until exhaustion or responsibility claimed them all, even the haggard Prime, who fell into a peaceful recharge with a human boy on his shoulder, the one person who, throughout the entire night, never left his side for an instant.

* * *

AN: Don't hate me for killing the Twins. I, personally, thought it was a good move on Bay's part to exclude them from the third movie, and decided that their disappearances, along with most, if not all, of the Autobots from ROTF that didn't feature again in DOTM, needed to be explained. Next chapter focuses on Hawk and the struggle he has with his past, and introduces Dreadwing, who I'm making as close to his TF Prime version as possible, cause I just thought he was a great character. Hope you enjoyed seeing Optimus Prime in action in this chapter, and I hope you all thought I portrayed him accurately.

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: DOTM - Shockwave's Revenge: Attack of the Driller

Transformers Promotional Score - Stumble Bumble pt. 1: Shockwave's attack on the tower to Twins' deaths


	13. Moral Compass

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Que/Wheeljack

Jolt

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Dreadwing

* * *

"We're all here for you, Prime," said Ratchet, who sat next to his old friend as the other Autobots made a ring around the trailer.

"Thank you, my friends."

And almost the entire base stayed with him, mourning the loss of their brothers-in-arms until exhaustion or responsibility claimed them all, even the haggard Prime, who fell into a peaceful recharge with a human boy on his shoulder, the one person who, throughout the entire night, never left his side for an instant.

…

2 weeks later

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

1 year, 2 months after the death of the Fallen

"Where's your pet human?"

Hawk rolled his optics at the absurd parameters of the question before responding. "Going 'shopping' with Elizabeth Hunter, if you must know. She's really taken a liking to the boy. And if you ever call him a pet within his hearing, Sideswipe, he'll strip your paint and cover you in hydrochloric acid. Wouldn't be the first Bot he's done it to."

The silver Bot raised an eyebrow at Hawk's assertion before deciding he wasn't kidding. "He _touches_ this paint, and I doubt you'll be able to protect him."

Hawk smirked at him malevolently. "You really wanna go through this age-old debate again?" To emphasize his point, he snapped both swords from his arms and turned the blades so light shone off of them.

Sideswipe hesitated for a second, one eyebrow raised. "Yeah...not today. Ratchet was mentioning that the energon scanners over Southern Virginia were going haywire a little while ago. Been happening on and off ever since."

The gray Bot's eyebrows furrowed. "What does he think that means?"

Sides shrugged. "No idea. Could be the Driller again, but I don't think even _that _Pit-spawn can give off an energon signature that big."

At the mention of the Driller, both of their faces fell slightly, as they had when Hawk mentioned getting paint stripped. "Well, keep me posted."

The silver specialist scoffed as he walked away. "You say that like I'm your personal secretary."

Hawk rolled his optics after Sideswipe was a safe distance away. "Aft," he muttered before turning back to fine-tune his weapons, especially his new and as-yet unused plasma caster, a task that, much like Caden, allowed him to clear his mind and focus deeply on other matters, his limbs knowing what to do by heart. Inevitably, his thoughts drifted to the events of two weeks ago. Even a week after the period of mourning for Skids and Mudflap had ended, the effect of their passing was still felt whenever anything reminded the Bots of them, even for those who never particularly liked them. Even among Cybertronians, it was taboo to speak ill of the dead, not that Hawk spoke true ill of any of his Autobot brothers. He had never been one for character assassination of any sort, even when he was a Decepticon. He let his actions speak for him, and often found himself disgusted with the sheer amount of hot air that was disturbed by his mouthing-off Decepticon compatriots.

Since he had joined the Autobots, Hawk found himself blessedly relieved in that regard, for the most part, as the sheer number of boastful slaggers was greatly reduced among Optimus and his soldiers. The only exceptions tended to come in twin packages, be they the departed pair or Sideswipe and his exponentially more vain brother Sunstreaker. He had, thankfully, only briefly worked with the latter, finding his monumental patience tested to its limits between the arrogance of the Bot and the way he seemed to look down on him because of his previous Decepticon status. Not that he could blame him for the latter, but if it were just an attitude, it wouldn't have bothered him that much. Attitude, for Sunstreaker, was often followed by inappropriate pranks and gossip of the sort that almost made him want to rejoin the Decepticons if only for the pleasure of permanently shutting the golden twin up.

Despite all that, even that loose-mouthed fragger had a sense of honor, and never told anyone anything about Hawk's actions that could call his loyalty into question, because nothing of that sort ever happened. When it came to the war, the elder Twins were deadly serious, and that, more than anything, prevented the former Con from taking one or both of his blades to them. Of course, honor among Decepticons was present, though in a comparatively infinitesimal quantity. He remembered two in particular that fit into that category, twins actually: Dreadwing and Skyquake. Hawk had met them only a few times and never actually worked with them, due to their aerial status, and the fact that Seekers and Infiltrators rarely mixed, but he respected them both. In a way, they reminded him of himself: honorable, courageous, loyal to a fault. Their dedication to the Decepticon cause was borne primarily from their undying loyalty to Megatron, and as such, after his death on Earth, they disregarded any and all orders received from Starscream.

Hawk had actually run into them after that happened, just a few months before coming to Earth, and tried to convince them to abandon the Decepticons, since their primary reason for staying was dead. It seemed like he had almost succeeded when they both tilted their heads sideways, receiving an encoded message. Hawk discovered later that the message was sent mere minutes after Megatron's revival, making the most sense as to why they so suddenly changed their minds. Surprisingly, they left him in peace, and instead made all speed toward Earth. To this day, the former Con had no idea if they ever made it, and honestly hoped that they hadn't. For all his lack of contact with them, their reputation as individual peerless fighters preceded them, and if they were ever together, the sheer amount of destruction they could cause was staggering. He didn't relish the thought of going up against them on a good day.

The activation of the base-wide intercom snapped Hawk out of his reverie.

"All available units, we have an energon surge near Ridgeway, Virginia. Report to the main hangar immediately!"

Hawk subspaced his now-tuned caster and broke into a run toward that exact location, falling into line next to Ironhide as Ratchet, Sideswipe, Arcee, Que, and Optimus joined them, along with several dozen NEST soldiers. Turning to the weapon specialist, Hawk spoke up.

"What's the situation, 'Hide?"

"Not sure," the black Bot responded in his usual gruff voice. "We've been receiving some strange signals from that area on our internal comms., but have no idea what it means. The transmissions are heavily encrypted, so much so that even Que is having a hard time cracking them."

Hawk's eyebrows raised slightly at that. "How often does that happen, exactly?"

"It doesn't, laddie," the Bot in question cut in. "Only a few Bots or Cons are comin' to mind that can come anywhere close, and I ain't heard from any of 'em."

"So we could be facing either side. Lovely. Let's just hope they don't have reinforcements, if they're Cons."

"Though with our luck," Lennox cut in from below, "hope is kind of a moot point."

None of the Bots disputed that, instead transforming into their alt modes and following Optimus out the front door. The drive to the small Virginia town was too long for Hawk's taste, but as a rapid Infiltrator, and a speedster to boot, he was used to getting the job done fast, and chalked his unease up to that. The one upside to the length of the trip was the time he had to think, to reflect. Even if it seemed like he was inactive, maybe even in recharge, Hawk was always thinking, always considering, be it past, present, or future. The past allowed him to learn from previous mistakes and successes, the present allowed him to stay focused on the mission, and the future was what he was fighting for. At this moment, however, he found his thoughts caught up with the past, the tedium of obeying human traffic and speed laws nearly grinding its way through his circuits.

As a Decepticon, he had never intentionally tried to be cruel, unlike most, be it in battle or in private. He treated his superiors and inferiors with respect, and only came to blows if an argument or disagreement got out of hand. The only Con who ever truly ground his gears was Sideways, and since Megatron valued his left hand far too much, the Decepticon leader wisely managed to keep them as far away from each other as possible at all times. There were days, however, when Crow, as he was then called, felt no pity, no mercy, no remorse. There were days when he felt nothing at all when he took the life of another, or worse, he enjoyed it. Those were the days that he dreaded thinking on most, remembering just how much Megatron's brutality corrupted him and how tenuous his hold was on the mech that he was deep down in his spark. Now, he almost found himself thanking Megatron and Sideways for betraying him, as if he had stayed much longer, he would have lost himself completely to the evil of that faction.

Hawk knew that if that had happened, he would have died the day Megatron invaded Iacon. He simply wouldn't have been able to live with the fact that he gave the Cons the intel they needed to find dark energon and turn the one femme he had ever loved into a mindless creature. He would have killed her, then himself, just so he could end the intolerable, throbbing pain in his spark, even if Primus threw him to the Pit. Shaking himself out of those morbid considerations, Hawk shoved his memories of her aside, knowing that thinking about Starmind was the quickest way to lose his focus. _I've learned from past mistakes,_ he thought._ I'm different now. _Those two statements had become something of a mantra since joining the Autobots, and every time he felt guilty or unworthy of his comparatively new insignia, he reminded himself of that.

Still, no matter how hard he tried to beat the truth into his head, no matter how much the Bots who knew and cared about him reinforced what he told himself, it never seemed enough to him. There was always uncertainty and, astonishingly, fear, fear that he would go back to being the Con, if not in loyalty, in action. His near-sacrifice of Caden three months after becoming his partner was, in his processor, an example of that. He was so willing to jeopardize the human's life, to risk him for a fleeting chance at ending the war that, as the boy had suspected, when he took that missile from Skywarp in Kiev, it was almost with the wish that it would kill him. He felt ashamed for his actions, of any manipulative thoughts or decisions that even remotely reminded him of his days as Crow, and he hated how self-doubtful it made him at times. Not that anyone else noticed.

Like Caden, Hawk had learned long ago how to hide his true emotions behind a facade of grim determination and even cockiness, shoving fear, uncertainty, anything that could inhibit his ability to do his job to the side. His perceived stoicism earned him the respect of many a hardened veteran, and the incessant teasings and provocatory pranks that were usually reserved for Ratchet and Ironhide, all just to get a rise out of him. Much to the perpetrators' dismay and constant frustration, however, he remained as stoic as ever, on the outside, at least. In all his millennia of life, Hawk could count the number of sentients he could be truly vulnerable with on one hand, and most of them were dead. _Just a few left these days. Optimus, Ratchet, Ironhide...and Caden. _Optimus had been correct in assuming that Hawk took the young man as his responsibility because he saw himself in the human. In a way, the Infiltrator envied Caden, not for his skills or possessions, and certainly not for his physical form, but for his certainty.

Unlike him, Caden had never been a puppet of evil. Worked undercover, yes, performed horrible feats, absolutely, but always with the intention of bringing justice upon the heads of the wicked. Hawk, on the other hand, had been loyal to Megatron, perhaps the greatest avatar of pure evil among Cybertronians apart from the Fallen himself. His failure to catch on to who and what Megatron truly was weighed as heavily on him as the death of Cybertron did on Optimus, if only for the simple reason that he had been close and trusted enough to put a blade through the murderer's spark. It might not have ended the war, but the ensuing chaos and infighting that would have plagued the Decepticons might have turned the tide in the favor of the Autobots, not that he would have been alive to see it. Their world might have survived if he had just accepted the truth sooner.

_"Can't change the past,"_ the Bot could almost hear Caden saying in his head, and the Bot smirked internally.

_Doesn't mean I can't still wish for it._

_"'What if's only bring pain."_

_But I can't just let go._

_"Of course not. Nobody ever can. Doesn't mean you have to dwell on it."_

Hawk recycled his energon in self-frustration and returned his thoughts to the rote task of driving, dragging himself out of his spark-wrenching wishes to have done things differently. Every time his processor returned to that part of his past, he was nearly overwhelmed with guilt and frustration, and Caden, of all things, a _human_, had slowly been convincing the million-year-old Bot to forgive himself and look toward the future. Drake was the one sentient out of millions he had met in his lifespan that actually managed to get through to him, and despite how much the boy scared and frustrated him at times, he knew his life would be so much less without him in it. Hawk smiled internally. _Starmind would have liked you, Cade._

"Coming up on the signature location now," Lennox said over comms.

Hawk instantly cleared his processor, his battle programming coming to the forefront in preparation for a potential engagement. What happened next was completely and utterly unexpected. A gigantic burst of energy was detected on all the Bots' scanners-from above. The Autobots transformed and stood, all optics trained on the massive dark shape coming toward them.

"It's a ship!" Que burst out, somewhere between astonishment and uncertainty, not at his statement, but at the crew of said vessel.

Hawk nodded and drew his plasma caster, still wary of using it, not because he hadn't inspected and tuned the damn thing _ad nauseum_, but because Que built it, which meant the potential of it exploding in his face was about five times more than was usual. The vessel was spiraling beautifully toward the ground, the pilot taking his time in the descent as it set down on a deserted grassy field ever-so-gently. All eyes and optics were trained on the entrance/exit ramp as it lowered and smoke poured out of the hole, several silhouettes visible through it in the noonday sun. The weapons of every Autobot and human in the field were raised and leveled against the newcomers in caution, but their fears were mitigated a second later.

"Roadbuster!" Que yelled out joyously, lowering his weapons and charging toward the green Bot in question, almost bowling him over in a friendly embrace.

"Jackie!" he shouted right back good-naturedly, their Irish-sounding accents mirroring each other. "Good to see ya, ya lug-nut."

Three other Bots made their way down the ramp, a wide, red mech, a wiry blue one, and a contoured red, arm-bladed Bot.

"Leadfoot," Optimus greeted, "Topspin, Dino. Welcome to Earth."

…

It took about a half hour to settle things with the Wreckers and Dino, the NEST soldiers unnerved and none too slightly disturbed by the loud, boisterous tag team of destructive Bots. Despite Optimus' best efforts, they endlessly harassed and accosted the humans with questions and near-incessant insults, all good-naturedly, but the way they presented themselves, no one but the Bots who knew them could tell. Along with their usual payload of explosives and highly destructive weaponry, the Wreckers had brought along a cache of "special items" other Autobots recovered from the Iacon vaults before they were raided near the end of the war. The cache in question was about the size of a tractor-trailer, and as such was being hooked up to a semi other than Optimus, as the Autobot leader already had his recreated mobile armory to tow. Hawk, since he wasn't much use with either loading cargo or socializing with the newcomers, stood off to the side, arms crossed as he observed the scene.

Their ship, the Xanthium, had nearly run out of energon in their final descent, and would need to remain where it was for the time being, until they could refuel it and fly it somewhere less conspicuous. The soldiers and Bots were busy hiding it under brush and other obstructions, though a ship that massive was going to be hard to miss, no matter what you put in the way. They were all so distracted with their respective tasks that no one noticed another signature approaching from a mile off, then blinking out of existence briefly. Before anyone could respond, Skywarp appeared in the middle of them all, and was quickly joined by a dozen other Seekers who opened fire on the Autobots while Skywarp attached a tow cable to the cache and the other end to his fuselage, two Seekers doing the same when he finished and transforming to fly off with the massive container with the other attackers in tow before the trio blinked out of existence.

Just like that, it was over.

Hawk got to his feet from where a shockwave had knocked him off balance and surveyed the scene around him.

"Is everyone okay," Lennox asked loudly.

Just a cursory look was enough to tell the former Con that they weren't. Several soldiers were on the ground, some with minor cuts and bruises, others with a limb or two bent at an odd angle, medics moving feverishly to assist them. Turning his optics around, Hawk spied Leadfoot and Dino, both of whom were hit by several missiles during the attack and heavily damaged, Ratchet tending to them both. The other Autobots seemed intact, though a little startled.

Hawk narrowed his optics at Roadbuster, the leader of the Wreckers, with suspicion at the seemingly terrified expression on his face, the Wrecker's optics staring at the place where Skywarp and the container had vanished from. "What," he asked 'Buster gruffly.

"Nothin'," he responded quietly, "it's just...there's a lot of really dangerous tech in there."

"Such as," Optimus queried calmly.

The green mech turned to his leader with a tense frame. "Artifacts, sir. Ultra-powerful artifacts."

Optimus' head lowered with his optics, and his fists clenched. "I feared as much. The Iacon vaults contained many tools and weapons, some forged by the Ancients, others discovered more recently, all locked away for study and safekeeping, none to be used. If the Decepticons gain control of the contents of that vault, it could tip the scales of the war further in their favor."

Hawk's spark sunk. "That's what I was afraid of." They were all silent for a few seconds before he turned to Roadbuster. "Do you have an inventory of the cache's contents?"

"In me head," he responded, tapping his helm for emphasis. "I'd prefer not to let any of it fall into Con hands, tho." The green Bot strode up the ramp of his partially-hidden ship.

"Well how do you suppose we should track them? I mean, it's hard to know where to look for an energon signature when you're dealing with a teleporter."

Roadbuster came back down the ramp with a device in his right hand. "I know. We expected somethin' like this might happen, so we put a tracker on the cache. It's not far, right next to a human…'speedway,' if I'm not mistaken."

"Then what are we waiting for," Hawk asked impatiently, his gears turning and energon churning at their current inaction.

Optimus turned to him before looking at Roadbuster and nodding. "Autobots, roll out!"

The remaining mobile Bots transformed into their vehicle modes, Roadbuster and Topspin having green and blue Cybertronian car modes, respectively. Unlike the rest of the Autobots, the Wreckers' vehicle modes seemed to have been permanently stuck in Stealth Force mode, their mobile forms being anything but stealthy between the exposed weapons and their loud, throaty engines. Hawk rolled his optics as he transformed into his Lambo form and followed them, all trailing behind Roadbuster, whose device was their only lead on the cache's location. Several NEST vehicles followed, but many of them stayed behind to tend to the wounded. Epps and Lennox were among the soldiers who followed.

"What kind of security do you have on the cache," Hawk asked after a minute or so of driving.

"Top-notch," Topspin responded. "The same encryption that we've got on our communications channels. Won't stop the Cons from breaking in the old-fashioned way though."

"Can they?"

"Well, yes," Roadbuster cut in. "Anything can break if ya hammer at it long enough. Between the Seekers alone, they've got more than enough firepower to do it within a few Earth minutes."

Hawk grit his teeth internally. "What kind of artifacts are in there, exactly? Why would they send a contingent of a dozen Seekers just to take it?"

Roadbuster hesitated in answering for a moment. "There's the Immobilizer, a device that can be used to forcibly put anybot into instant stasis lock, a phase shifter, allows ya to go through solid objects, few dozen containers of experimental explosives, and one in particular that's very interesting."

"And that is?"

"Dark energon."

Hawk's optics widened to their max, and he nearly slammed on the brakes in shock, barely containing it long enough to keep his speed and direction. "You brought...dark energon...to Earth?"

"Well, yeah," 'Buster said, confusion over Hawk's dark tone showing. "Why not?"

"Are you slagged?! Dark energon is one of the most volatile, dangerous substances in the _universe_, and you brought it to Earth?! Do you even know what that stuff does?!"

"Enhances the body of any Cybertronian who merges it with their spark, allows them to survive just about anythin', potentially a game-changer...need I go on?"

"Need I remind you," Hawk hissed out angrily, "that dark energon is also responsible for the destruction of Iacon? Or were you just not there when it happened?"

The Wreckers were silent for a moment before Optimus spoke up. "The Wreckers were offworld when the initial attack on Iacon occurred. Ultra Magnus had been dispatched with them to oversee the assault of a moon-based shipyard the Decepticons were using to build fighters and warships. They fell out of contact completely after the city fell."

"That's still no excuse!"

"Hawk," Optimus reprimanded softly, "I know how personally this is affecting you, and I must insist that you keep your emotions in check."

Hawk hissed angrily, but said no more for a while, taking the Prime's advice and recycling his energon furiously in an attempt to cool down. "What are the chances the Cons already have access to the dark energon?"

"Slim to none," Roadbuster responded uneasily. "Since the stuff was playin' havoc with our systems, we had to reinforce the container heavily just to keep the radiation in check. Without the proper code to open it, the Cons may as well be throwin' rocks at that shell."

Hawk recycled his energon. "Well, at least you had _that_ much sense."

They were silent the last few minutes to the speedway, Roadbuster eventually opening a private channel to Optimus. "What's 'is problem?"

"He has experienced firsthand the horrors that dark energon can inflict, and would prefer not to go through that again."

Roadbuster chewed that over for a moment before another thought occurred to him. "Optimus, there's somethin' in the vault that might be of great use to you. The Sword of Primus."

Optimus' processor stalled briefly at that declaration. "The Sword of Primus...is here?" The Prime smiled internally as they pulled toward one of the car storage buildings, the tracker clearly indicating that the container was in there.

"Optimus," Hawk said, voice firm and professional again, "let me scout ahead. I've got a bad feeling about whatever's in that hangar."

The Prime thought it over for a moment. "Do it. Quickly. And report your findings. We will be on standby within striking distance."

As Optimus transmitted the plan to the entire force, Hawk drove almost silently to a side door in the car hangar, wheeling in slowly before transforming and rounding a corner cautiously, peering around the edge before an all-too-familiar voice reached his audios.

"Well, well, well...look what the scraplets dragged in."

Optics widening to their max, Hawk turned about and stared at what he knew was there, gazing blankly into the red optics glaring at him, fear thrumming through his spark, through his entire frame as his face twisted into a bitter snarl.

"Megatron."

"It has been many years, traitor. I've been worried," the Decepticon lord mocked. "How have your new companions been treating you?"

Hawk's fists and teeth clenched at both Megatron's words and the numerous Cons who were working to open the cache behind him. "Just fine, thank you. Better than you did, anyway." The former Con smiled mirthlessly, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Sending Sideways to take me out was a low blow, even for you."

"Please, he wasn't after you."

"I'm not talking about his abduction of the boy," Hawk snarled, pointing at Megatron accusingly. "I'm talking about the day you betrayed me, the day you took my blind loyalty and used it to stab me in the back!"

Megatron laughed loudly, a sound that chilled Hawk to the strut. "You sound surprised. I'm disappointed."

Hawk smirked at him, crossing his arms. "You should be. Your assassin failed. Wonder why he's still alive. But enough about me. How have _you_ been? Still half-headless, I see. That's too bad. Not that any femme in their right mind would have gone for you before."

Megatron smiled back evilly, turning to glance at the dented and opening cache. "I take it you're here to stop my new acquisition."

"I am," the Bot responded confidently, fists clenched at his sides as his blades deployed slowly, threateningly.

The Decepticon leader laughed heartily. "Please, put those away before you hurt yourself. Even in my weakened state, you have no chance against me."

Hawk half-smiled, leaving Megatron slightly confused at his sudden confidence. "You're right, I don't." His blades snapped back into his subspace. "But _he_ does," he added, jerking a thumb at the wall behind him.

Megatron stared at the blank wall confusedly for a moment before the roar of a familiar engine reached his audios, making his optics widen in recognition. A flaming Peterbilt 379 smashed through the wall, turning and drifting to a stop, transforming while still moving, the chrome trailer behind him slipping off his carriage and transforming also. Three seconds later, Hawk was standing next to Optimus Prime, who pulled a sword and shield from his mobile armory before speaking through his deployed battle mask.

"Megatron."

"Prime," the Con hissed out, clenching his clawed fists, glaring at Hawk, who was grinning at him smugly, both blades out again.

Their standoff lasted mere seconds before the Decepticon leapt backward, his right arm morphing into his bladed fusion cannon and firing repeatedly, the jets on his back carrying him back toward the now-open cache as his Decepticons opened fire on the two Autobots. Optimus raised his shield as he charged, Hawk spinning his blades vertically in front of him, effectively creating two propeller shields as he sidestepped behind cover. Optimus gave a battle yell as he shield-bashed the first Decepticon he crashed into, then slashed his longsword through the shoulder of another who got too close, spinning beautifully in a flurry of movements, every strike a block, every block a strike.

A wall closer to the cache, on the opposite side of where Optimus inserted, was blown open by Ironhide, who stormed through the hole, firing madly with Roadbuster and Topspin in tow. Megatron was circled by two Seekers, who opened fire on the weapon specialist, four of their comrades grabbing the cache and rising into the air before Megatron blew a hole in the ceiling to allow them easy exit. The Decepticon leader rose after them, his bodyguards getting the business end of Ironhide's new cannons and summarily being blown to pieces. Hawk stormed out of the warehouse, sheathing his swords and priming his plasma caster, aiming squarely for the jetpack of one of the Seekers and firing once. The unstable plasma bolt tore into the jetpack, causing the Con to fall toward Earth instantly, his uncontrolled descent landing him headfirst in another hangar.

Megatron fired several times in Hawk's direction, but the nimble Bot kept dodging the shots, returning fire on the Seekers and causing them to drop the cache less than a quarter mile from the hangar where he'd been cornered by Megatron. The enraged Decepticon leader touched down at the cache, roughly shoving aside one of the crippled Seekers to reach for a weapon inside. His hand alighted on an ancient broadsword with extensive Cybertronian writing on its hilt and blade, and he pulled it out, turning its blade to see it glint in the sun. Grinning evilly, he turned back toward his former left hand and transferred the sword his his literal left hand, firing his fusion cannon at Hawk, who ducked behind different cover repeatedly and retreated as Megatron demolished anything in the way.

"Megatron!" Optimus roared from his left, closing the distance in a sprint and leaping over his enemy's first fusion blast, smashing the side of his shield into the cannon and diverting the next shot into a recovering Seeker. He slashed his longsword diagonally, the glowing energon blade sliding off Megatron's new acquisition several times as they dueled, the former Lord Protector's gun-sword clashing and locking against Optimus' shield as his left-hand sword collided with the Prime's longsword. They struggled against each other, frames shaking with their opposing efforts before Optimus saw what Megatron was wielding in his left hand. The Prime smiled slightly behind his mask. "That blade will never acknowledge you, Megatron."

Megatron's optics widened slightly. "What are you going on about, Prime?" He shifted his weight, twisting away from Optimus and slashing his left sword across his opponent's back. Much to his surprise, it barely left a scuff, despite the solid contact and force he put behind the blow. "What?!" he demanded, staring at the sword in his hand.

"The Sword of Primus will not serve you, Megatron. It is perhaps the one thing in the universe you can never bend to your will. It is said that a part of the very will and consciousness of Primus dwells within this blade, and as such, it will only respond to one with a pure spark. One who is worthy." Optimus set his stance offensively and glared at Megatron. "And you are not."

Disbelieving, Megatron snarled at Optimus and thrust with the sword again, snapping it to the side and smacking the blade bluntly against Optimus' right wrist, followed by a roundhouse kick to the sword-hilt. The longsword hit the ground thirty feet away, and Megatron pressed the attack, sending a fusion round into the Prime's shield, knocking him back with the sheer force before thrusting his left-hand sword at Optimus' neck. The Autobot snapped his shoulders to the side, allowing the blade to rush past his head, the middle of it trapped between his right hand and his shield, having slammed them together in a flash. With a twist, Optimus wrenched the Sword of Primus out of Megatron's grip, a sharp side-kick knocking the massive Decepticon back before he wrapped his right hand around the sword.

To the Con's shock, the blade seemed to morph in the Prime's grasp, lengthening and widening slightly, taking on an aesthetic and flared-tipped appearance similar to the swords that Optimus carried in his arms. And it glowed. Heat radiated off the edge of the sword as he swung it at his opponent, Megatron withdrawing slightly before thrusting his gun-sword at Optimus. The Prime's shield bashed the attack aside, and the Sword lunged forward, slipping into the armor of Megatron's lower chest with little to no effort, its tip bursting out the other side. Megatron's optics widened as he hissed in pain, his left hand bashing into Optimus' helm, sending him staggering back with the blow. The Prime pressed the attack, realizing his newfound advantage, but his opponent was a former gladiator, and cunning. They dueled for another minute or so before the Autobot saw an opening at took it, bashing Megatron in the head with his shield before slashing the blade downward and left, cutting a deep gash across the Decepticon's torso.

Megatron roared in pain and frustration as he was kicked to the ground, his gun-sword pinned to the pavement by Optimus' left foot as the Prime raised the sword, ready to behead him and end the war right there. Suddenly, the triumphant Autobot was under heavy assault, several missiles tearing into his chassis and knocking him off Megatron. A massive, AV-8B jet streaked overhead, turning back around and transforming to land next to the wounded Decepticon lord.

"Lord Megatron," he said respectfully, offering his master a hand.

Spitefully, he smacked the hand away and rose to his feet, left hand clutching his wounded chest as energon and sparks leaked out. "I am...in your debt, Dreadwing."

Dreadwing politely bowed his head. "It is my duty, Lord Megatron."

Megatron snarled slightly. "Indeed." He fired his fusion cannon once into Optimus' prone form, causing the Autobot leader to yell in pain and be tossed another dozen feet away. "How fares the battle?"

"Badly, milord. The Autobots and their human allies have rallied and driven back our forces. The cache's contents are being collected as we speak, however, so we may soon have a significant advantage over them."

Megatron grinned evilly, turning back to the groaning Prime who was desperately trying to regain his footing and striding toward him, grim purpose in every step. Kicking him onto his back, the Con stared into Optimus' pained optics and raised his fusion cannon to his helm. "Goodbye again, Optimus Prime." A series of missiles slammed into Megatron from the air, much the same way they had when Dreadwing strafed Optimus, and an F-35 transformed to land next to the prone Prime.

"Optimus," Jetfire said concernedly, "are you all right?"

"I am," Optimus coughed out, "intact."

Megatron snarled at them both and started to withdraw as a burst from Jetfire's new energon repeater cut across his armor. "Dreadwing, dispose of the Prime!"

"Jetfire, secure the cache. The Decepticons must not be allowed to gain control of its contents!"

"I'm on it, Prime," the silver and much younger-looking Aerialbot said before transforming and flying toward the vault's location.

Optimus shakily rose to his feet as Dreadwing and him faced off, the former raising his shield and new sword, the latter hefting a gigantic cannon from his back. Dreadwing fired the weapon like a rifle, a constant stream of ion rounds pelting the Prime's shield as he charged toward him. The Con's massive bulk slammed into Optimus' wavering defenses, bowling him over and allowing him to level the weapon at the Prime's head. Optimus kneed him in the lower chest hard, causing his shots to chew into the pavement instead, and kicked his chest with the other leg, knocking him back enough to get to his feet, new energy rushing through his system. Dreadwing subspaced the cannon, drawing a two-handed sword from his back and facing off with his opponent, their blades slashing across each other as the Con kicked the shield away, leaving them to duel blade-to-blade.

Without the advantage of the shield, as well as suffering extensive injuries, Optimus was losing ground. Even with the Sword of Primus at his command, he knew this battle would be lost if he didn't try something soon, and so pressed his attack, lunging toward the masterful duelist and twisting clockwise when the stab was blocked, his right elbow slamming into the Con's head and staggering him briefly before Dreadwing reversed his sword and stabbed backwards into Optimus' right knee. The Prime collapsed with a groan, leaning heavily on his sword before Dreadwing kicked its blade, sending it flying twenty feet away and well out of his opponent's grasp. Planting a firm knee on Optimus' chest, he knocked him onto his back and planted his left foot on his chest.

"I take no pleasure in this, Prime, but I am honor-bound to obey Lord Megatron. You were a most worthy opponent." With this, Dreadwing raised his underhanded sword and prepared to drive it into Optimus' spark when a plasma round tore into his shoulder. Snarling, he turned to see Hawk storming toward him, rifle in hand, firing madly and leaping into the air as he subspaced the weapon, his swords snapping from his arms midair as he assaulted the much taller Decepticon.

Hawk's blades screeched against Dreadwing's, and he somersaulted away, ducking and rolling under the swipes of the thirty-foot Con as they dueled. Eventually, he failed to dodge one, and crossed his blades to try and stop the much stronger blow. His feet screeched against the pavement as he skidded away, every fiber tensed to keep his footing. Dreadwing pushed against him suddenly and sent him sprawling backward, rolling sideways to avoid a slash that would have decapitated him.

"Abandon Megatron," Hawk pleaded during a lull in their fight.

"Never," Dreadwing snarled out. "My loyalty to him is unwavering!"

"He doesn't care about your loyalty, Dreadwing. All he cares about is conquest. He has no honor, no commitment. He turned on me when I stood by my ideals, and he _will_ do the same to you!"

"Enough!"

Their furious duel continued for another thirty seconds before it became clear to Hawk that Dreadwing's skill with a blade rivaled his own, and that his height advantage would be the Bot's undoing.

"Megatron abandoned you, Dreadwing." Hawk motioned to the skies filled with fleeing Seekers and roads filling with fleeing Combaticons. "He left you here to die!"

"Silence!" the Con roared furiously as he charged his opponent again.

In a last-ditch effort to win, Hawk threw both blades at Dreadwing, the Cybertanium swords cutting into his right shoulder painfully as the Bot drop-kicked Dreadwing in the face. The massive Con barely staggered before countering with a firm thrust-kick that sent Hawk flying back.

"You never stood a chance against me, traitor."

His beaked battle mask scuffed and damaged, Hawk rose to one knee and shook his head, trying to clear his overloaded processor as Dreadwing strode toward him, glaring. That's when he saw it. A massive, 17.8 foot-long sword with Cybertronian runes and a softly glowing blade. Reaching for it, Hawk wrapped his right hand around its hilt awkwardly and stared in surprise as the other two Cybertronians stared at him in shock. The entire sword was transforming into an eleven-foot-long longsword with a tapering edge and extremely sharp point, its finger-guard horizontal with the ends at a slightly upward angle. The sword fit him like a glove.

And it started heating up.

"He is," Optimus breathed out in slight disbelief, "worthy."

Hawk stared at him in confusion before turning his attention back to a charging and furious Dreadwing, his battle instincts and a confidence he hadn't felt before flooding his systems. As the massive, 30-foot Con cut toward his neck diagonally, Hawk lunged forward, sweeping his new blade in the opposite direction, and stared in shock as his sword cut a burning line through Dreadwing's, bisecting it and sending the Con lunging past him. Twisting counterclockwise in a pirouette, Hawk slashed the tip of the glowing blade through Dreadwing's right knee, causing him to collapse partially before shifting the sword to an underhanded grip and plunging it into the middle of his lower chest with a furious yell, dragging it to his left and cutting a burning line through the Seeker's chassis.

Dreadwing collapsed onto his back with a roar of pain, his left hand gripping his nearly hanging chassis and barely holding it together. His red optics stared at Hawk's masked face as the Bot held his sword upright in a two-handed grip. "Finish it," he hissed out in agony. "End my pain." Hawk's unreadable face stared at the prone Decepticon, optics narrowing slightly in what seemed like anger. The sword glowed white-hot, and Dreadwing prepared himself for the end.

That was when Hawk tossed the sword aside and offered him his right hand.

Cautiously, with narrowed optics, Dreadwing took it.

"Do you still wish to fight," the Bot asked the much larger Seeker.

Dreadwing glanced at the veritable army of humans and Autobots that were leveling weapons at him from the sidelines, but the fight had gone out of him long before. "No. I have no further quarrel with you. With _any_ of you. You were...right about Megatron." Hawk's surprise was clearly shown when he finally retracted his mask. "When he was resurrected, my twin and I returned to Cybertron, as he did, and offered our services to him as of old. As punishment for not coming to assist him on Earth before his demise, I was forced to watch as my twin, Skyquake, was executed." The Con felt his spark twitch at the pity and grim understanding in Hawk's optics. "I followed Megatron from then on out of fear and familiarity, but that day, he stopped being worthy of my loyalty. Thank you for making me realize the truth."

Hawk nodded grimly. In reality, all he felt for the Con was pity. _I've been in his exact position before. Betrayed, abandoned, tossed aside like a broken toy._ "You know I understand how you're feeling right now." Dreadwing nodded. "And you also know that I was given a second chance, a chance to make things right." The Con stiffened, knowing where this was going as Hawk held out his hand. "Join us. Join the Autobots and help us end this war."

Dreadwing looked around at the Autobots' motley crew and allies, even Optimus standing and making the same request with his optics. "No," he said finally. "Leaving the Decepticons is not the same as joining you, but I will not fight. I am...tired of war. It will do me some good to have time alone among the stars."

Hawk vented heavily. "As you wish. We won't pressure you into it."

"My thanks. You were…a most worthy opponent, Hawk."

Hawk's optics narrowed at the double-meaning he was sure the now-former Con was implying, but he didn't say anything about it, merely shook Dreadwing's outstretched hand. "And you as well."

"Prime," Dreadwing said, turning to the Bot in question, "I have a gift for you." Reaching toward his back, Dreadwing took his massive, rifle-like cannon from his subspace, causing a few Bots and humans to raise their weapons in alert until he handed the weapon to Optimus. "It is a dual-fire, tri-barreled ion minigun with a pump-action, 150mm artillery cannon as its secondary fire mode. I have no more use for it now."

"Thank you, Dreadwing," the Prime said with a nod. "Be safe among the stars."

Without another word, Dreadwing transformed and took to the skies, sparks falling from his frame as he went almost straight upward, exiting the atmosphere mere seconds later. When the Seeker was finally out of sight, Hawk turned to Optimus.

"What's the word on the cache," he asked.

Roadbuster stepped forward and offered his report. "Most everythin' is accounted for, includin' the dark energon."

Hawk recycled his energon in relief, but stopped when he thought over the Wrecker's wording. "_Most_ everything?"

"Few items got taken, most nothin' important. Jetfire managed to head off or crash most of the Cons who managed to snag somethin', but Skywarp still got away with the Immobilizer."

"Most grave news," Optimus said, voice low. "Still, the cache is largely intact, and the Decepticons were routed. This was a victory."

Hawk nodded slowly as his optics fell on the strange longsword that seemed to hum at his touch. The weapon was lying on the ground where the Bot had tossed it, and he slipped his hands under the hilt and blade, raising it and walking toward Optimus. "Seems to me that this weapon only responds to certain Bots. Care to explain?"

"The Sword of Primus is an ancient artifact forged by the original Primes. It is said that a part of Primus' very spark resides in the hilt, allowing his will and a portion of his consciousness to determine who its power is or is not granted to. As such, the blade with only respond to those that Primus deems worthy, those with the purest sparks."

Hawk's optics fluttered excitedly, and he knelt before the Prime, offering him the weapon. "As a Prime, who could be more worthy than you, Optimus?"

Optimus looked at the kneeling Bot, considering both the weapon and the soldier holding it for a long time before saying something that no one expected. "Keep it."

Hawk's optics snapped to his leader's face, and he stared in disbelief as he rose to his feet. "Keep it? Wha—why?"

The Prime smiled slightly. "Despite your supposed stoicism, I know very well how much you struggle with your past life under Megatron. I know that you blame yourself for much of the ill that has befallen our race, and that you have spent the years since your defection attempting to atone for your sins. I also know that you struggle daily with the thought that you are...unworthy of being called an Autobot." He could tell he hit upon the absolute truth by the way Hawk's expression changed. "Let this sword be an indisputable reminder to you of just how much you have changed. Let it be, as the humans would say, a 'moral compass' that tells you beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are, indeed, worthy."

Hawk stared at the blade that thrummed in his hands, glowing faintly, not with deadly heat as before, but with a calming warmth, almost as if it were alive. "Optimus...I…"

"Keep it, my friend," he insisted, laying a massive hand on the Infiltrator's shoulder.

Hawk blinked a few times before looking up at his leader and smiling. "Thank you."

…

6 hours later

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

After the battle was over, the Wreckers chose Earth-based vehicle modes that were on the speedway, and Dino chose a red Ferrari that, oddly enough, failed to remind anyone of Knockout. Hawk supposed it was just the different way he carried himself. All told, Hawk was happy. Far happier than he had been in a long, long time. It wasn't just the sword. New Autobots had arrived, they now had a ship capable of long-distance space travel, and for the first time in millennia, he felt a lightening feeling thrum through his spark. _Hope. _He looked down at the Sword of Primus in his hand. _We have hope again. _The Bot smiled.

"That is a fancy new toy." The new voice prompted Hawk's optics to snap in its direction, revealing a young man in the open doorway of a black custom SUV. "Where'd you get it?"

Hawk smiled at his human partner, then at the Cybertronian runes engraved on his new sword's hilt. "It's a long, long story." His optics locked with Caden's. "One that I don't mind telling." He smiled wider with deep mirth, his entire frame feeling lighter than it had in a long time. "I think you'll like it."

Caden grinned knowingly and climbed up to his guardian's shoulder, sitting with rapt attention as he waited for Hawk to speak. _The Sword of Primus chose me. Primus himself thinks I am worthy. _His energon recycled easily. _Starmind, I wish you were here to see this. I will use this blade to the best of my ability, to defend the innocent and end this war, like you would have wanted. I'm going to do you proud, my love. When I finally join with the Allspark, I know I won't go with any regrets. _Finally returning to the present, he looked Caden in the eye, the teen waiting patiently for him to speak.

"So it all started with a spaceship landing…"

* * *

AN: Another chapter done! First off, yes, I invented the Sword of Primus, and second, yes, I brought in some Iacon artifacts from TF Prime. I decided to stop the Cons from taking that many of them because I didn't want to have to write in a couple long chapters about the Autobots hunting them down. They probably won't feature heavily, since Optimus said that most of them were under lock and key in the Iacon vaults for a reason, but in time of need, who knows?

Dreadwing's cannon is given to Optimus. Yes, it is the same massive weapon that he carries in Dark of the Moon. I just thought it would be a really awesome way to introduce the gun, rather than just have it be an invention by Que.

Hope you liked how I went more in-depth into Hawk's psyche and motivations, as well as his insecurities as a turncoat. As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers Prime - Dreadwing: Hawk's reminiscence on the way to Ridgeway; In Defense of Humanity: Hawk's approach to the warehouse, conversation with Megatron, and Optimus Prime's entrance; Relentless Pursuit: battle that breaks out in the warehouse, Optimus and Megatron's duel, Dreadwing's attack, Hawk's rescue, Hawk's use of the Sword of Primus.


	14. Night Out

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Que/Wheeljack

Jolt

Jetfire

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

* * *

Caden grinned knowingly and climbed up to his guardian's shoulder, sitting with rapt attention as he waited for Hawk to speak. _The Sword of Primus chose me. Primus himself thinks I am worthy._ His energon recycled easily. _Starmind, I wish you were here to see this. I will use this blade to the best of my ability, to defend the innocent and end this war, like you would have wanted. I'm going to do you proud, my love. When I finally join with the Allspark, I know I won't go with any regrets. _Finally returning to the present, he looked Caden in the eye, the teen waiting patiently for him to speak.

"So it all started with a spaceship landing…"

…

2 weeks later

6:30 PM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 2 months after the death of the Fallen

"Woah," was all Elizabeth could say as she strode lightly into the secluded, three-story residence, the interior decorations of this house throwing her for a loop as she tried to figure out how anyone could design something so beautiful.

"Yep," Caden responded, a smug grin on his face, "that's what they all say." Crossing his arms, he leaned back against one of the pillars by the front door and watched as she gawked at his handiwork.

"Who...on Earth is your interior decorator, cause I wanna hire him. Or her."

"Him," he said, grin broadening, "and he does jobs for free." He pushed away from the column and strode to her right side, matching where her eyes had wandered and fixed, an immaculate painting by an obscure yet talented Eastern European artist depicting a man running down a recently rained-on street in an Austrian town. The setting sun was at his back, and the clouds were parted around it in a rough ellipse, sending beams of light across his form. His shadow, as expected at dusk, was long, but it also covered all of his features, making it seem like he himself was a living shadow. As he ran, the subject of the painting scared off a flock of pigeons, making them scatter in an even "V" shape as his currently-planted foot landed in a puddle, sending sheets and droplets of fallen water everywhere.

"Who is this one by?"

Drake smiled slightly in fondness. "An old client of mine. He asked me to keep him anonymous after I helped him out and, being in his position for the longest time, I was happy to oblige."

"So what exactly do you do for your 'clients'?"

He turned toward the kitchen and started walking, opening up the fridge to look for something to drink. "Well, before now, I was something of a drifter. I just looked for anyone who needed a problem solved and had exhausted all other options."

"Essentially, anyone who was desperate enough to turn to you."

He turned his head and arched an eyebrow at her. "You might say that. Except I usually came to them." Caden returned to his distracted search. "And I never charged them anything."

"How exactly does that work? I mean, you've gotta be funded somehow. Contrary to Hollywood's assumptions, being a spy is expensive."

Caden shrugged as he pulled out a 2-gallon case of virgin pina colada and set it on the counter. "I fund myself. Don't look at me like that. I don't look it, but I'm a very rich man. I mean, how do you think I got this house?" He motioned to his surroundings.

She shrugged and smiled cheekily. "I don't know...raffle?"

That actually made him snicker a bit. "Yeah, no. I inherited...a lot from my parents."

Liz arched an eyebrow. "How much we talkin', exactly?"

He rolled his eyes and poured himself a cup from the case. "I'm not gonna give you figures, Beth. I'm not one to gloat."

"Uh huh," she mocked, pushing herself onto the counter and alternatingly tapping her heels against the side.

He stared at her high-heeled feet for a few seconds as he tried to figure out why that somewhat irked him before returning to his drink and taking a long swig. Looking back at her, he tilted his glass in her direction. "You want some?" She shrugged and nodded, and he set about getting another glass. "So, why exactly are you here? I mean, we've pretty much spent the last few weeks getting to know each other better during the day, so...why the sudden change?"

She grinned mischievously. "I think—" she poked his shoulder firmly, "—that you need a night out on the town."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And what on Earth would give you that idea?"

Liz shrugged and kept smiling. "You just seem so dark and mysterious. Gotta learn to let your hair down."

"I would if I _had_ any," he said with a roll of his eyes, causing Liz to giggle a little at his sixteenth-inch buzz cut.

"Don't be sarcastic. It doesn't suit you."

He gave her a snarky expression. "Woman, you have no idea what suits me or doesn't. You just don't know me that well."

"Why do you think I'm trying to?" She pouted and groaned when he didn't speak further and simply crossed his arms. "Come ooon. It'll be fun, I promise."

With a final sigh of resignation, Caden rolled his eyes. "Fine. But no dance clubs."

"Wha—?"

"No. Dance. Clubs. I know what your idea of 'fun' is, Beth, and I'm tellin' you, I won't take it." She gave him an almost endearing pout, but he just gave her a condescending look that said, "Really?" and headed for his jacket.

When they got outside, much to Caden's surprise, his gray Lambo was not in the driveway, but had been replaced by a yellow-and-black Chevrolet Camaro. "Bee? Where's Hawk?"

"Have to take some time to yourself," the Bot transmitted.

Drake raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Hitting the high-grade?"

"Yep," Bumblebee responded.

"Which, I'm guessing, you're banned from."

The car shook in frustration before repeating, "Yep."

"So my likely-inebriated guardian thought he'd send the only ineligible mech to watch over us."

"You got it! You're wonderful, you're wonderful."

With a sigh, Drake opened the driver-side door and motioned for Liz to get in.

"Don't think I've met this one yet," she said, her usual bubbly voice running over with giddiness. "I'm Elizabeth. Most friends just call me Liz. And you are?"

The car gave another shudder, though this time in slight apprehension at the foreign human in his passenger seat. "Bee," he transmitted, the recorded voice giving away none of his emotions.

"That's so cute!" Liz turned to Caden, grinning. "Can I keep him?"

"Uh, no," he responded definitively. "Bumblebee is a seventeen-foot alien robot who already has a human charge and quite frankly, I think, is afraid of you."

She looked at him incredulously. "Me? What's there to fear?"

Drake rolled his eyes and put his hands on the steering wheel, shaking his head in resignation. _This is gonna be a long night._

…

2 hours later

8:45 PM

Josephine Nightclub and Lounge, Washington, DC

"So, what were you thinking about at the house?"

Elizabeth looked at him sideways, not understanding the question. "What are you talking about?"

Caden narrowed his eyes and gave her a mock smile. "I-I mean, what was occupying your mind when I said, very specifically, 'no dance clubs'?"

The girl rolled her eyes and kept twisting to a hammering bass. "Come on! Loosen up, ya stiff!"

"As Optimus once told me, I'm used to living with people who practice loose living." He crossed his arms. "That doesn't mean I practice with them."

Liz grinned wider and kept shaking her head, paying no attention to Caden's unspoken pleas to leave. Noticing this, he rolled his eyes and strode over to the bar, tapping the counter a very particular way for an unspoken request. The bartender nodded in his direction and, a minute later, produced a shot of heavily mixed vodka and a half dozen other alcohols he didn't bother to think about at that moment. His mind was distracted by the events of the past hour and a half. Beth had taken him to a half-dozen clubs all across DC, ranging from penthouse to single-story, wide flooring, all with the same general result. He didn't fit in. _Not that it kept her from having a little fun at my expense,_ he thought with a slight smirk and another shot.

"Drinking alone?"

Drake's head and eyes turned toward the voice, and he smiled and held out his hand when he saw who it was. "Chris. Good to see you." He gave the man a friendly handshake and his customary one-armed hug. "She invite you?" Caden nodded at the dancing and oblivious Liz.

Chris laughed at the sight, leaning back against the bar with his hands. "Yeah. Don't worry, she's always been like this."

"Worry? What's there to worry about? Other than, you know, me dropping unconscious because she refuses to go home?"

Chris smiled wider. "At some point in the night, her dance moves usually attract some attention." When Cade stared back at him with innocent eyes, he knew the spy had misunderstood him, and instead nodded in her direction to show him exactly what he meant.

A six-two, chunky guy was currently attempting to flirt with her, quite crudely, if the half-amused, half-repulsed expression on her face was any indication. Caden wasn't sure why, but this guy irked him, in a deep, soul-cutting way, and having him anywhere near his friend was suddenly absolutely unacceptable. So he got up from the bar.

"Woah-woah-woah," Chris pelted out, putting a hand on his arm, "where you goin'?" His eyes widened at the pointed look he gave the flirt. "Uh, yeah, she—she can handle herself, trust me."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Drake responded with a malicious smile, "but he irks me, and I'm bored." He pulled away gently and strode toward the pair with purpose. "This," he called back to Chris, loud enough for Liz to hear him as well, "is how I have fun." When he finally arrived, the man was getting agitated at his lack of pickup success and had grabbed her arm in a way Caden definitely did not like.

"Listen," he was saying, "all I want—"

"Is irrelevant," Drake cut in sharply, giving the man a slight, smug smirk.

"What are you, her boyfriend?"

Drake couldn't see in the strange, colored lighting of the club, but Liz was turning bright red. "No, just a protective friend." He leaned his head forward. "Buzz off, boyo. Trust me, you don't stand a snowball's chance in hell."

"We're having a perfectly civil conversation here, ye dig?"

Caden rolled his eyes and looked at Liz pleadingly, who just stared back at him incredulously. "All right. Hard way it is."

The girl could almost see Caden smile as he gave a sharp knife-hand to the wrist still holding onto her arm, causing him to let go of her as he cursed sharply and drew back in pain, staring daggers at him as two other patrons smaller than him looked over in their direction._ Well, looks like I kicked up a hornet's nest._

"Big mistake, 'boyo,'" the larger man said as he cracked his knuckles.

Caden just smiled and stared into his eyes, the look in his own smoldering with hair-trigger fury until Liz stepped between them.

"Woah-woah-woah, let's be reasonable now. Cade." She turned to him. "Please?" Caden's smile faded, but he nodded slightly, giving the six-two patron one last predatory glare before turning around.

"Yeah that's right. You turn your pansy ass around, let a girl do your fightin' for you." He was obviously trying to get a rise out of Drake, but the spy wasn't caving, and instead chuckled darkly at his pathetic attempts. That is, until he started muttering to his peers. "Dumb bitch doesn't know a good time when she sees it."

Caden instantly froze mid-stride and glanced at Liz's face to see a close-eyed expression that said she heard. The 19-year-old's right fist clenched hard, and his face twisted in rage as he gently pushed past her and beelined for the indiscreet jackass he was about to kick in his jackass. And he did. Literally. A firm thrust kick sent him sprawling forward, knocking down one of his friends and spilling his drink everywhere. The one not recovering turned to Caden and grabbed a nearby beer bottle, holding it threateningly by the neck. Drake just raised his eyebrows, a mocking smirk on his face.

"Really?" Caden barely sidestepped the drunken swing, planting a hard knee on his lower ribs by using his own forward momentum against him. He was decked before he knew it, but the other two were just getting to their feet. The spy swung his shoulders in a circle, absently glancing around for signs of the bouncer as he loosened up, not bothering to take a fighting stance as they charged him from opposite sides. He grinned nastily. _Amateurs. _He redirected a punch from the shorter attacker and backed up an easy step as he deflected a series of punches from the original offender, holding them both back effortlessly, then deliberately putting one hand behind his back, not even bothering to counterattack until almost a minute in. _Enough._

Drake caught the larger man's wrist, gripping it painfully and side-kicking his remaining backup. The tall patron gave a right cross with his free hand, and Caden caught it, squeezing his fist harder and harder until he slowly sunk to his knees in pain, then released both arms and grabbed his chin, tipping it upward to look into his terrified eyes. "My parents always taught me to respect women," he hissed out, a smirking snarl on his face. "Yours obviously never did. Good luck ever getting a good one, bitch." He shoved him onto his back by his head, then walked away to a crowd of staring eyes, the most shocked of which belonged to Elizabeth Hunter and Chris Douglas. Striding over to the bar, he gulped down his last shot, then paid the tab, noticing that they had both approached him somewhat cautiously. "And _this_ is why I said no dance clubs."

…

30 minutes later

9:12 PM

Lux Lounge, Washington, DC

"Cade! Come over here and meet some of my old college buddies!"

Caden set down his vodka martini and strode over, no more inebriated than he had been when this whole charade started, but a great deal more exhausted. Not that it showed any.

"Ella," Liz said, her own alcohol resistance low enough that even her limited consumption was affecting her speech somewhat, "Brynn, this is my friend, Caden Drake. Caden, Ella and Brynn."

"A pleasure," he said with a smile and a firm shake of each of their hands, one of which held on for two seconds longer than it should have. Upon realizing this, Caden took a longer look at the girl on the other end. Ella was a fiery redhead, the pattern of her not-unattractive freckles indicating Irish descent. What he noticed the most, however, were her eyes, not just for their startlingly bright green hue, but their almost predatory quality. _Wokay, better be careful with this one. _Finally releasing his hand, the girls resumed their conversation, Ella taking some not-so-discreet looks at Caden and his body. Of course, he never let on that it bothered him at all, much less that the practically lecherous looks she was giving him damn near turned his stomach.

"So," Ella spoke up, her smooth voice sporting a slight Bostonian accent, "how did you two meet?"

"Uh," Liz stammered, mouth wide open as she looked at Caden for help, knowing very well that she couldn't speak about what happened with Knockout.

"Come on," Brynn, the dirty blonde, added, a teasing grin on her face, "it can't be _that _bad."

"She was car shopping," Caden said, breaking his friend's awkward silence. "I gave her a test run with a limited edition SUV. Put it through its paces."

Liz stared at him, mouth slightly agape and curling into a slight smile. It never ceased to amaze her how easy he found it to rephrase the truth.

"Uh huh," Ella chuckled, "and why exactly was she so hesitant to say that?"

Caden gave her a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "Because...she may have almost hurled once or twice. It wasn't exactly her finest moment, truth be told."

Liz's face turned bright red, but she knew he'd dodged a bullet. Ella had always been keenly, almost freakishly, aware of when people lied to her. It was the primary reason that she tended to get the most dates with the least backstabbing heartbreak in college. She just knew which guys were going to screw with her, and so refused to allow them to screw her. Liz hated to think of things in that crude of terms, but it was true. The girl had never had any sort of impulse control when it came to sex, and by the way she was looking at Caden right now, she could tell that was what was on her mind.

"Well," Ella continued, "that makes sense. She always did have a weaker stomach than the rest of us. Not that that's a bad thing, dear. Just means you prefer not to engage in any...dirty business."

Caden wasn't sure which of the two meanings of that phrase she meant, but he was sure he didn't want to find out, and if the utterly mortified expression on Beth's face and the way she took Brynn to the side were any indication, she didn't want him to find out. "Well," he said, swaying and letting his posture slump ever so slightly, slurring his words slightly, "I think I've had enough for the night."

"Oh, come on," the redhead begged, "you've only just got here."

"And I'm only just leaving," Drake quipped back, giving her a knowing smirk and a glare that said, "back off." Turning to Liz, he tapped her arm gently, seeing her and Brynn in a side conversation just a few feet away. "Hey, Beth, you wanna stick around a while longer? I'm goin' home."

Elizabeth took one good look at Ella's face before shaking her head and taking his arm, practically dragging him toward the door. As the two girls watched them leave, they shared a look at just how close they were standing together, then burst into laughter, Ella's more than a little halfhearted at her lost conquest.

"Man," Brynn giggled out, "she is so into him."

"Yeah," Ella agreed, disappointment in her voice. "Seems like a real stud."

Brynn punched her arm playfully as she spotted someone familiar. "Come on. Plenty of those around here. Hey Chris!"

One thought crossed Ella's mind as they went to join Douglas at the bar, and she voiced it in a semi-rhetorical question to Brynn. "Since when does anyone call her Beth?"

…

2 minutes later

9:17 PM

Washington, DC

Caden was laughing internally and clamping down on his tongue to keep from letting it out at the almost panicked retreat by Liz, walking her over to the curb as Bumblebee rode in from around a corner.

"You okay," Drake asked her, withheld laughter evident in his tone.

"Fine," she replied, sharply and way too fast, mounting into Bee's rear passenger seat the moment he came to a stop.

Allowing himself a small, almost inaudible chuckle, Caden got into the front passenger seat and allowed Bee's holoform to hit the gas. "Hey Bee, we're drivin' her home first." The Bot nodded once before focusing on the long drive back to Manassas. Caden turned around in his seat, looking at her vacant expression as she looked out the window. They were silent for the entire ride, and only spoke when they got inside her house, Drake walking her indoors like a gentleman.

"You know," he said finally, "surprisingly, I enjoyed myself. Even if you refused to abide by my 'no dance club' order."

She gave him a mocking smirk. "I took it as more of a suggestion than anything." Slumping onto her three-person couch, she let out a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting her legs recover from all the relentless standing and dancing. "Shame I couldn't hook you up," she added after a long time.

Caden's head snapped toward her, eyebrows raised to their max. "Really? You were trying to?"

Liz lifted her head and stared at him. "Well...yeah. That was kinda the whole point of tonight. I figured the reason you're always so uptight is cause you haven't had sex in a while. Trust me, I have that problem." She fell into a giggle fit at the way his face reddened, having not seen that all night, despite the many embarrassing situations she'd put him in. "But I guess you're just too uptight to be attractive."

He narrowed his eyes at her in disbelief. "First off, I don't 'hook up.' Ever."

She stared at him. "You mean you've never—"

"Nope."

Her eyes widened. "You're a—"

"Yep. And staying that way 'til I get married." Liz's jaw dropped, and Drake laughed. "What, did you think I'd be a man-slut just because I'm a spy? Contrary to popular belief, I'm not actually James Bond. Not...in that regard, anyway."

She mouthed a silent "wow" at him, turning her gaze away and thinking that over. "Well, I never said that, but…I didn't expect you to be so traditional. Wait, you said, 'first off.' There was something else?"

He sighed softly, a smirk coming to his face. "Yeah. Secondly, the reason all the other girls stayed away wasn't because I was aloof or 'uptight,' it was 'cause you were practically hanging off my arm the whole night." It was Caden's turn to laugh at the deep red she blushed. "I mean, honestly, did you _mean _to scare everyone else off? Not that I didn't appreciate it, mind you, _especially _with that friend of yours, 'cause before they saw you all over me, some of them were looking at me downright lecherously." If possible, she turned even redder at hearing how she was "all over him," causing her friend to laugh even harder and give her a tight, one-sided hug. "I'm sorry," he said between laughs, "I just had to pay you back for all the embarrassing situations you put me through tonight."

She looked at him strangely. "What? Excuse me, but you never even _looked_ embarrassed, seemed to enjoy it, even."

"Only because I'm a master at hiding my true emotions. I knew it'd just be worse if I'd shown it."

Liz looked down and away, smile fading, muttering, "So much for letting your hair down."

He gently grabbed her chin and raised her eyes to his. "I let my hair down in private, with people I know and care about. Not just everyone gets to see this side of me."

Her deep green eyes stared into his, wondering exactly which side he was talking about. She didn't even notice she was staring at his expressionless face until almost a full minute later, when she coughed and turned away, ending the moment awkwardly.

"You want me to stick around for a while," he asked in his same even, friendly tone, as if nothing had happened.

She coughed again. "No thanks, I think I'll be okay." Turning to him, she forced a smile. "I didn't drink _that_ much."

He laughed again, easily. "Okay, well, if you _do_ need help, especially in the morning, you've got my number."

Liz started to burn up again, but stamped it down as she smiled at his back before calling out in a near-purr, "I think so."

He looked back, a slight smile still on his face. "Good night, Beth."

"Night." Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief when he finally left, silently cursing herself. What the hell was she thinking? Was she _trying _to flirt with him? What's going on? As she strode up the stairs to the second floor and a shower, she realized for the first time that she was falling for him. Hard. Cursing herself again as she washed off, the conflicted girl was completely unaware and oblivious to the fact that Caden was having the same mental debate as he drove home with Bumblebee, though for drastically different reasons.

_I...like her, as more than just a friend, but...I feel like if I'm with her, I'm somehow betraying Kara. _He thought back to his conversation with Aria a few months back, remembering her words to "wait for her" at the halfway point. _She wasn't awfully specific about where exactly that is. _He clenched his teeth in frustration before realizing that Ari knew exactly where they stood. _Kara's going out with Trevor, and I'm stuck here...alone. She wouldn't want that, just like I didn't want her to be alone. I left her to find a better man for the time being. She would want me to do the same. _And with that realization, all traces of conflict were gone, and left in its place was one massive hurdle, the one that has plagued teenagers and young adults since the dawn of time: getting her to like him back.

* * *

AN: I apologize in advance. I will be updating less and less frequently. Between school starting up again and lots and lots of applications to do, I'm gonna be swamped with work any day now. Next chapter, as Freddie Wang says in DOTM, "Shit's goin' down, son. Codeword pink, as in Floyd."

Get ready for an Optimus-Caden team-up!

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

TRON: Legacy - End of Line: entry of Bumblebee, Caden's dislike of the club and "conversation" with the womanizer; Derezzed: bar fight.


	15. Mistakes

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Que/Wheeljack

Jolt

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

* * *

_I...like her, as more than just a friend, but...I feel like if I'm with her, I'm somehow betraying Kara. _Caden thought back to his conversation with Aria a few months back, remembering her words to "wait for her" at the halfway point. _She wasn't awfully specific about where exactly that is. _He clenched his teeth in frustration before realizing that Ari knew exactly where they stood. _Kara's going out with Trevor, and I'm stuck here...alone. She wouldn't want that, just like I didn't want her to be alone. I left her to find a better man for the time being. She would want me to do the same. _And with that realization, all traces of conflict were gone, and left in its place was one massive hurdle, the one that has plagued teenagers and young adults since the dawn of time: getting her to like him back.

…

3 weeks later

8:30 AM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

1 year, 3 months after the death of the Fallen

Major William Lennox was enjoying his day. It started, like most here in DC, with a trip to the mess hall. The usual Wednesday food was up, no surprise there. There were no interruptions, no alerts, no calls for help, and no rampaging Cybertronians, Autobot or Decepticon. The Wreckers were in Cape Canaveral, Florida, busy with the maintenance of their ship, the Xanthium, as the new Director of National Intelligence and the Autobots' liaison with the US Government, Charlotte Mearing, had decided that their personalities were less than suitable for being housed on-base on a regular basis. Will and Epps had been enjoying the respite from the day the trigger-happy Autobots came to Earth, and the hellstorm that their minibot intelligence specialist, Brains, had cursed up when he marched off the ship after being left on it. Brains himself had been given to Sam Witwicky for safekeeping, along with the Decepticon defector called Wheelie.

Witwitcky himself had been pushed to the backburner, as the Cons hadn't taken an interest in him in some time, and didn't seem to be changing that. Other than their resident consultant, who Mearing wasn't too keen on either, the Cons had no known targets, nor did they seem to be anywhere near getting the upper hand, hence their silence for the last two months. The Consultant himself was in for work today, though he usually didn't show up unless he was either consulted by them or went to visit Hawk. Today, he wasn't doing either, opting to speak to Optimus instead. The two were in an intense conversation at the moment, in another hangar that was largely unoccupied, a discussion that they obviously wanted to keep private. Will was perfectly content to let them, more than happy to enjoy the relatively quiet calm. Well, as quiet as it could be on a military base with a dozen-odd alien robots living in it.

And then there was darkness.

It was all dark except the limited natural light streaming in from a few sparse windows in the high-vaulted buildings that made up NEST. Backup generators and lights came online, red lights illuminating the silhouettes of the soldiers and Autobots occupying the HQ, all of whom were going for weapons and scanning the area for possible causes. Unfortunately, they found it far too late. A stream of blue lightning streaked across the open hangar Lennox was in, two arcs of it nailing Ironhide and Sideswipe.

"Ironhide!" an Autobot yelled from further back in the hangar. Another streak of electricity emerged, but not from the previous source, from an electro whip that was deployed. The whip tangled around something none of the humans saw: a Decepticon.

"Fool!" a deep and all-too-familiar voice bellowed as the tangled Con was roughly shoved aside and a bolt of blue energy struck out toward the whip's owner. Jolt rolled away, yanking on the Con and pulling him into his attacker as the humans sprinted for the armory. Two more pairs of red eyes and the silhouettes of their bodies could be seen in the darkness. Lennox pulled his sidearm and aimed for the two nearest glowing orbs of red light, hoping to blind the Con and buy him and his men time to get more adequate weapons, but his pistol was not Caden's. The bullets ricocheted off the red optics, and the Con who owned them fired a weapon that cut down two of his men, the paths of the shots landing dangerously close to his own position.

Will sprinted past the dark legs of his attacker and dove through the door to the vehicle maintenance bay, narrowly avoiding the waiting claws of a Decepticon. He keyed on one of the jeeps and floored the accelerator, knocking into the legs of the Con who just attacked him and roaring past, turning sharply and opening the side door for Epps, whose running form he could make out in the glare of the emergency lights. The moment the darker man leapt inside, Lennox hit the gas and they bolted for the exit, getting most of the way there before a 30-foot Con blinked into existence in front of them, his massive hands stopping the jeep in its tracks and flattening the hood. When the top of the car was ripped off, the hulking form of Skywarp was seen above them, the light of the outside and freedom maddeningly close as he grabbed them both and shook them until their weapons dropped, then handed them off to a lesser Decepticon.

As the two soldiers were carried off, they could see more arcs of lightning hitting their Autobot allies. Ratchet, Arcee, and Chromia went down in one burst, their bodies falling immediately limp, and Que and Hawk returned fire, the latter pumping plasma shots into the enemy, taking out two Cons from his fire alone and slashing another in half with the Sword of Primus before an arc hit him and rendered him immobile. Que was tossing shock grenades with one hand, so as not to damage the infrastructure of the base while assaulting the enemy, his other hand hefting an SMG that fires high-explosive rounds. He too succumbed to the effects of the lightning. A shimmer was barely seen by Will, and he stayed quiet, a small hope stirring within him knowing that Dino hadn't been caught yet. He assaulted the Con holding the two men, one of his arm blades thrusting into his chest and his other hand grabbing them before they fell.

The Autobot spy sprinted for the exit, but another bolt of energy hit him, and for the first time, Lennox and Epps got a good look at what happened to the Autobots that were hit with this weapon. Their eyes dimmed, their bodies falling completely limp, but the ever-present hum of their sparks remained in their chests. Not dead, just...immobile. And then everything made sense to Will. _The Immobilizer,_ he thought. _The Decepticons made off with the Immobilizer. _Another set of hands grabbed them from Dino's limp ones, carrying them toward the exit as the blue Autobot's corresponding legs sprinted madly.

"Jolt, look out!"

A bolt of blue energy, a single ball unlike the lightning strikes, slammed into Jolt's back, and both humans stared in horror as a gigantic, red-hot hole was punched through his chest. As he fell to the floor, he took both humans down with him, crawling desperately toward the door as a gigantic Decepticon half-crushed his hips under a massive foot, then raised his clawed arm and fired again, blowing Jolt's torso into pieces. Pinned under Jolt's metal hand, the two humans were forced to watch as their Autobot allies were corralled and packed into storage crates, their human comrades not faring much better. When Jolt was yanked from his resting place, the Decepticons noticed his cargo and retrieved them, packaging them away with the rest of the soldiers. Sounds of gunfire could be heard outside, but not much could be seen in the darkness from the narrow window Lennox had been pushed towards inside the trailer. When then the lights of the base came on, and Will saw the Immobilizer's owner-and Jolt's killer, only one thought crossed his mind.

_We are so screwed._

…

"Caden, run!"

The human spy sprinted from one half-wrecked vehicle to the next, barely dodging gunfire from three Decepticons at once for thirty seconds before he ran out of cover. Opening fire with his upgraded Daggertail, one of the Cons recoiled in pain as the armor at his elbow was perforated, and the joint of the arm holding his SMG was crippled. The other two finished reloading and targeted Drake's position as a stream of ion rounds chewed through the chassis of one, then a massive artillery shell tore the spark out of the other.

"Optimus!" he called out, spotting his heavily armed savior running toward him.

"Go, go!"

The human and the Prime ran away from NEST headquarters and toward the Potomac, alternating blind-fire with running full-tilt. "We gotta go! Prime!"

Optimus got his drift and transformed into his truck form after subspacing Dreadwing's cannon, accelerating as Caden ran toward his open door, leaping inside and leaning out his driver-side window to exchange fire with the pursuing Cons as he did the day they first met. It was another five minutes before they finally lost the enemy and thirty minutes before they pulled into an abandoned hangar near the Air and Space Museum in Chantilly. Hiding inside, Caden opened the door and stepped out, slumping against a crate as Optimus transformed and crouched next to him. The spy was breathing heavily.

"Optimus," he choked out, "they...they got Hawk. They got all of them."

"We will get them back," the Prime said with finality, though even his voice seemed uncertain.

"No, you don't understand, they killed them all. Optimus, they killed them instantly."

The Prime's optics widened in understanding and he recycled his energon. "No, Caden. That was the Immobilizer. They are in involuntary stasis lock, and it will take some time to wake them. Our primary concern is getting them back from the Decepticons."

Drake breathed a sigh of relief, then started pacing, thinking of their next move when Optimus spoke up.

"How did the Decepticons disable our systems?"

Caden froze completely, knowing that Prime had just asked the one question he dreaded. "A—virus," he said shakily, back to Optimus.

"Are you all right?"

He turned toward the Prime slowly, locking eyes with optics. "No. Optimus...I let them. I let them in."

Suddenly, Optimus' face turned in a way that Caden had never seen before, and after a few seconds of staring, the spy knew that the gentle Prime was slowly becoming angered beyond belief. "You did," Optimus almost growled out, "what?"

"I...I saw the virus that did this." Drake started pacing again, his voice agitated, unable to meet the Prime's intense gaze. "One of the security techs called me over because he found an echo in the secure server that he couldn't figure out. I suspected that it had something to do with my...addition to NEST's systems." When Prime gave him a confused look, he explained. "The backdoor. I found a virus in the backdoor."

"And you didn't think to tell someone?!"

"Optimus," he yelped desperately, "it wasn't anywhere near as complex as Cybertronian code! The base of it was human! I thought it was a glitch, or something the Twins planted before they—" He stopped pacing, eyes widening further as several realizations hit him. "The Twins," he breathed out, almost in a whisper. "Shockwave took their heads, didn't he?" Optimus narrowed his optics before nodding stiffly. "Oh...Optimus, he pulled the code from their processors. That's why I recognized it as their handiwork." He leaned heavily against a nearby wall, strength suddenly rushing out of him as he realized the gravity of his failure. "I'd seen that coding before, from them, in my own computer. That's why I thought…" Caden slumped to the floor, hands holding his head and fingers digging through his hair. "Optimus," he choked out, "...it's all my fault."

After about a minute of silent self-loathing, Optimus interrupted him, his voice gruff, but not as angered as it was earlier. "Enough, Caden. You may be at fault for their current predicament, but right now, we are their best and only chance for rescue. Now is not the time for self-pity."

Caden looked up at him with a sudden fire smoldering in his eyes. "You're right." He resolutely got to his feet and started pacing again, face setting in concentration, all guilt and regret leaving him as he shoved them aside to focus on his work. "What Autobots haven't been captured?"

Optimus racked his processor. "The only ones who were not on base were the Wreckers, Jetfire, and Bumblebee. Jetfire is currently offworld investigating a long-range signal your satellites intercepted, and Bumblebee is currently visiting Sam in Princeton. I have already contacted him."

"The Wreckers are too far to be of any help to us, unless they use the Xanthium, which will _not_ make Mearing happy, and Bee is still at _least_ three hours away, even going at top speed." He laid his hand on his chin, still pacing. "We need to do something. Just the two of us. I know it's a longshot, but Megatron taking all the Autobots alive isn't a good thing, because it means he needs them for something other than blasting to pieces."

Optimus nodded gravely. "Agreed." Putting a finger to his helm, his eyes projected a holographic "screen" that showed the internal camera systems of NEST headquarters. "The security system came back online while we were escaping, and allowed me to record what transpired with regard to our comrades." As Optimus played the recording, Caden saw the soldiers being packed into shipping containers separate from the Autobots, one by one blinking into thin air in a shimmer of gold light.

"Skywarp."

"Indeed. It explains why none of our outdoor energon sensors gave an alert, being independently powered and on a separate system from the base's mainframe."

"'Cause he just teleported them inside."

Optimus nodded and kept playing it, causing them both to sigh in frustration.

"If they all teleported out, how are we supposed to track them?"

"In the event of an Autobot's capture, we installed GPS receivers that are directly linked to Autobot life signals within our spark chambers. Easily concealed, and powered with barely a fraction of a percentage of our sparks."

"So, essentially, you can track any Autobot anywhere in the world."

"Unless the Decepticons have means of blocking the signal."

"You pinged any of them yet?"

Optimus shook his head. "The alternate receiver is back at base in the tech wing. The technology was experimental to begin with, and we thought it best to keep it locked up, so that the Decepticons would have no chance to retrieve it."

"Right. If they got a hold of that thing, none of you would be safe."

"Until we removed the transceivers, yes."

Caden nodded. "Do you still have access to the base's cameras?"

"Yes." The feed skipped to a live feed showing almost every inch of the now-empty HQ. "They took them all, but left the equipment. The tech wing is completely untouched."

"And the armory?"

"Intact."

Caden smiled malevolently. "Then let's go. We have some gear to grab."

…

2 hours later

Fairfax, VA

They returned to HQ as fast as possible, Optimus sending a quick, one-way message to Mearing indicating the situation and their attempt to remedy it, but not any other intel, correctly thinking that she would take the news better if it were coming from him and that any attempt on her part to help would be met with the executions of their comrades. While Prime retrieved the tracking device and his mobile armory, Caden packed a large duffel with all manner of weaponry, from grenades to light machine guns to a series of military-grade RPGs. When Optimus activated the tracker, only one life-signal could be detected from the captured group, which in itself was troublesome, but not as suspicious once it started flickering in and out. Caden theorized that their captured comrades were being held underground somewhere, a theory that explained the inconsistency of GPS transmission as well as the absence of the other signals.

Two hours later, around 12:40 AM, they were just arriving at an abandoned industrial complex in Fairfax, VA with senses primed and bodies decked out with enough firepower to take Fort Knox...and maybe a couple others. The signal had all but stopped, but Optimus had taken down the coordinates, and they were currently driving toward the location. As expected, the Decepticons' makeshift prison was a concrete building, most of which was underground and used as a storage area for materials sensitive to heat before it was abandoned and left to disrepair. When they neared the underground section's entrance, Optimus let Caden out before transforming, still angry with the youth but keeping it under wraps until the mission was over. His trailer formed its circular alternate form, and he subspaced the usual longsword and shield, along with several shock and frag grenades on his hips. Caden was packing his usual Daggertail and Sig, plus his knife and a duffel bag of weapons hanging from his shoulder. The bag must have weighed at least a hundred pounds, but it was barely slowing him down, if at all.

As they strode toward the entrance, Optimus brandishing Dreadwing's cannon, the sounds of transformation came from behind them, and both soldiers spun around to spot three Combaticons, including a decked-out Onslaught, running toward them, weapons raised and firing. Optimus rolled to the side to avoid an incoming missile and unleashed an artillery shell on one of the Cons, blowing its leg off while Caden rained MA fire down on Onslaught's missile launchers, damaging the servos that held them steady and throwing off his aiming pattern. The massive Autobot peppered Onslaught with automatic fire from his cannon, cutting through his armor and damaging him heavily, forcing him to retreat behind the other Combaticons. A Seeker came down in a roaring transformation, firing a flurry of missiles at the entrance ramp, but hitting nothing, as Optimus dashed away, grabbing Caden and carrying him to safety.

The Prime ran behind another building, firing his massive cannon one-handed as he rounded the corner and put Caden down.

"Optimus," the boy said, reloading his Daggertail and adjusting the strap of the bag, "go. Get inside. Find the others. You have a better chance of rescuing them than me." The Prime stared at him in disbelief, though whether at Caden's utterly objective view of the situation or the utterly skewed odds that would be stacked against the boy if he left, he couldn't tell. "Think of it as my penance," he added sadly. Before Optimus could argue or say anything, he ran out into the open and sent a hailstorm of 5.56 rounds into a Combaticon's neck, spraying blue energon in a thin arc as he clutched the open wound in an attempt to stem the flow and bent over in pain. "Come and get it, you bastards!"

Caden sprinted off into the distance, toward a cluster of one and two-story warehouses, as Optimus looked on in disbelief and sudden worry, clamping down on both a moment later and running behind the distracted Decepticons to get underground.

…

Optimus Prime rounded yet another corner in this maze-like underground complex. The ceilings of most warehouses were high, but not typically high enough to allow him to stand fully upright, so the design of this place somewhat confused him. It was almost as if someone built this place with giant robots in mind. When he was finally nearing the coordinates he had marked down earlier, Optimus pressed his back up against a concrete wall and prepared himself to clear the room beyond, then spun 180 degrees and stormed inside, cannon raised and primed. And found it empty. Worse, there were no signs that any containers had been there, nor were there any signs of recent movement. _This...cannot be right._ Prime double-checked the coordinates, including altitude, and found himself to be standing exactly where they had indicated. Suddenly, and much to his horror, a familiar mocking laugh filled the complex's loudspeaker.

"Welcome, Optimus Prime. By my scans, you have just discovered the empty room where your 'friends' were supposed to be. Don't worry, they're safe...for now. You, however, are not."

Optimus spun toward the massive doorway he had just stepped through to see a very pissed-off Onslaught glaring at him, all functional weapons raised. The Prime prepared to blast him back to Cybertron when out of the corner of his optics, the air shimmered. He turned a second too late. A high-explosive missile slammed into his lower right chest, sending him reeling and stumbling as he lost his balance and pitched over. A strong kick separated him from his cannon, and Prime retaliated when he felt the presence getting closer, a powerful hammer-fist smacking right into the central chest plates of his attacker. Rolling to his feet, Optimus got a good look at who he was fighting. Onslaught, Skywarp, of course, Thundercracker, and last but not least, Starscream._ Three of the most powerful Seekers and the leader of the Combaticons. _Optimus struck a raised-fist fighting stance, his battle mask snapping shut. _Not opponents to be taken lightly._

Onslaught was the first to make a move, peppering Optimus with auto-fire from arm-mounted, .50 caliber machine guns. Optimus put his right arm between him and the bullets, his left brandishing the collapsed shield from his subspace and replacing his arm as protection. His right fist smacked into Skywarp's jaw as the dull-witted Seeker bullrushed him. He would not be taken down the same way twice. The teleporting Seeker recoiled and stumbled backward, Starscream jetting sideways in the enclosed space and firing a series of missiles at Optimus while Thundercracker laid into him with a Subsonic Repeater. The shield mitigated most of the damage, but not even Optimus could manage fire from so many directions. The Prime pulled an ion blaster from his back in lieu of his new cannon, firing a series of rapid shots at Thundercracker, then a high-velocity shell into Starscream, smacking him into a thick concrete wall that cratered at the impact.

The massive Autobot charged at a still-firing Onslaught, bashing him in the head with his large shield, then spinning clockwise and pistol-whipping him with the understock of his ion blaster. The Combaticon staggered and rolled away, allowing an enraged Skywarp to jet toward Optimus in yet another bullrush. He leapt toward the rampaging Seeker and planted a thrust kick on his upper chest, sending him falling forward onto his back hard while Thundercracker opened up with a new salvo of subsonic rounds. Optimus laid into him with his ion blaster, only vaguely aware of movement on his right. He swung his shield horizontally, like a blade, but missed as Starscream ducked under the strike and cut a line across his chest with his buzz saw. Optimus groaned in pain, then kneed the cowardly Seeker in the chest, head-butting him solidly, then firing into his left shoulder with an HV round at point-blank.

After leaving a sizable hole in Starscream's shoulder, Optimus turned his attention to Thundercracker, a mistake, as a flurry of Skywarp's missiles slammed into his unprotected back. Optimus pitched over at the sheer concussive force of the impact, trying to roll but disrupted when tackled by Thundercracker and pinned to the floor as his Subsonic Repeater drilled several dozen holes into his lower chest. Another groan escaped Optimus' vocals at the new injury, and his left arm smashed the shield's sharp edge into the still-firing weapon, then bluntly into his face, following with a kick to the Seeker's left knee. A missile from Starscream sent Optimus spinning, and a punch from Skywarp brought him to his knees. Deploying his right-hand sword, as he'd dropped his ion blaster in the fight, he plunged the blade into the elbow of Skywarp's next punching arm, then drove a palm heel into his chest, driving him back.

Onslaught suffered being in the path of a 360 roundhouse kick when Optimus spun in a clear-out move of his immediate area, landing head-first in a wall with the force of a hundred-mph crash, immediately going into stasis lock. As it was, however, the loss of the Combaticon leader was not altering the remaining Decepticons' tactics or success, and after another half-minute of fighting, all present were much worse for wear, but Optimus was successfully being restrained by Skywarp and Thundercracker, with Starscream grinning at him evilly as he put a finger to his head.

"Lord Megatron," Starscream said with his usual hissing voice, "the Prime has been subdued."

"Excellent," Megatron's voice spoke over the loudspeaker again. "Don't kill him yet. I want him to see as I tear the sparks from his Autobot lackeys and execute every one of his human pets, though first, one in particular."

Starscream's red optics projected a screen much like the one Optimus had shown Caden, and on it was a live aerial feed of the industrial park. In the distance, the Prime could make out one shape, one very small, dark shape. With a duffel bag slung around his shoulder. His optics widened in horror. _No…_

"Don't worry, Prime," Megatron mocked, "I wouldn't send anyone else to do this job."

On the feed, Optimus could see the attacking Decepticons falling back and the fighting human still firing after them, hoping to keep them retreating with his barrage. And that's when the camera view started lowering in altitude, and he heard the sounds of a familiar transformation over the loudspeaker. Again, Prime's optics widened.

"I want you to see every second of this, up to the moment I peel the flesh from his disgustingly squishy body."

_Caden...no…_

"No!" Optimus roared, finding strength in his damaged body he didn't know he had as he shoved both restraining Seekers aside and brought a fist into the front of Starscream's head so hard, he was in stasis lock before he knew what had happened. Dive-rolling toward Dreadwing's cannon, he peppered Skywarp and Thundercracker with ion rounds before giving them each an artillery shell to the lower chest for good measure. Quickly retrieving his fallen ion blaster and subspacing it with his cannon, Optimus transformed and drove as fast as he could, his perfect memory allowing him to easily find his way out of the maze and back to the surface within a minute's time. By the look of the feed, Caden had run a considerable distance, and had to be at least three miles away, perhaps in another industrial complex entirely. Optimus could only hope he wouldn't find it too late to save him.

…

_Where the hell did they go?_

Caden's dark eyes traversed the empty industrial landscape before him, now completely devoid of the hostile Decepticons that he had spent most of his Daggertail's ammo holding off. The roar of an unfamiliar jet engine a moment later caught his attention, and he turned about to see a thick Cybertronian jet transform and land a quarter-mile away from his position. His eyes widened to their max. _No...no-no-no that can't be, that_ can't_ be. _But as an evil grin settled onto the Con's badly mangled face, and his tread-legs started stalking toward him, Caden could no longer deny what he saw. _Megatron…_ An involuntary shudder of fear ran through his system at the very thought of the Decepticon lord who was currently staring at him like he was dinner. After about five seconds of staring at the steadily approaching, hulking form, only one coherent thought ran formed in his mind. _Run!_

...

Megatron grinned wider as the human broke off into a sprint, not even bothering to throw fire in his direction. He knew it wouldn't do him any good. After a few seconds of indulging his amusement, Megatron took a faster, longer step, his thundering steps turning louder as he moved faster and faster until he was all-out running toward the human. Even with his enhanced Achilles physiology, Caden was much slower than a sprinting Megatron, and he knew it. Rounding a corner, he ducked inside a warehouse and sprinted to the other side, the heavy duffel on his shoulders starting to make his muscles ache. He considered just dumping the bag, but something in the back of his head told him that was a stupid idea, so he just kept running, moving from one warehouse to the next in an attempt to throw off his enemy's line of sight.

Megatron was searching, tearing the sheet metal roof off one building after the next looking for the human. A line of semi trucks was at the end of the row of short warehouses, and Megatron pointed his audio receptors in that direction, tuning them to focus on that area alone and amplifying sound considerably. What he heard both amused and disgusted him.

"Please, please, please, just let me get out of here alive. Please…"

Lips curling into a mocking snarl, Megatron strode calmly in the direction of the trucks, his right arm slowly morphing into his fusion cannon gun-sword as he prepared to vaporize the pathetically whimpering human. As he got closer, the source of the sound was pinpointed within a few feet, and he knew exactly which truck the human was hiding behind. When he finally reached it, one clawed hand reached down and chucked the truck a quarter mile away, revealing...nothing on the other side. Nothing except…

Megatron growled. On the other side of the truck, where the sounds of begging had been coming from, was a small, silver recording device playing its contents on a loop. His face twisted into a fang-ornamented grin. _Clever human._ He was beginning to enjoy this hunt. _Perhaps Sideways was right about his abilities. _Looking around for any sign where he may have gone, Megatron almost idly fired his fusion cannon into the trucks around him, almost hoping his quarry was hiding behind one so this charade would finally be over. When no sign of him was found, he turned his gaze toward the only building even remotely in range of the parking lot: a large, inactive factory with five stories and a pair of large smokestacks. Breaking into another run, Megatron reached the factory and blew a hole through a wall, pushing away anything in his way as he entered.

The factory was almost completely devoid of equipment, but had an impressive set of catwalks and support pillars. The catwalks had four levels, one on each story except the ground, with each level comprised of three uniformly curved catwalks, a gap the space of a catwalk between them, but a catwalk just one story down below the gap. This alternating pattern continued the whole way to the ground, any gaps in the catwalks filled by the level directly below it. Several stairwells had been built into the walls on either side of the raised walkways, to allow ascent and descent from one level to another without risking breaking something. Wide concrete pillars were all around the walkways, between him and the catwalks themselves, obscuring his sight in five-foot gaps at certain places. All in all, it was the perfect place to hide, especially since the room was so large and open, it was sure to echo.

"I smell you, boy," Megatron growled out, uttering the same words he told Sam Witwicky three years earlier as he confirmed the suspicion that this large, five-story room was essentially an echo chamber.

"I know," a young but strong voice replied.

As expected, the sound bounced around the room, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint its source. Megatron grit his teeth and brandished his fusion cannon. "You cannot hide forever."

The human spoke again in an even deeper, almost threatening tone. "I don't intend to."

…

Despite the strong, malevolent image he was trying to project to the Decepticon, the predominant emotion in his body was fear. Sheer, utter terror gripped him at the thought of being hunted by this robotic monstrosity called Megatron. Part of it was reputation, he told himself, part the way he saw how easily that cannon of his vaporized the wall, part just...the evil aura he emitted. This Decepticon was terrifying in a way he'd only ever felt in the presence of Drakon, and even then it was only during their first meeting, when he'd been beaten so solidly he almost thought he was having a nightmare. This was a nightmare come to life, in every possible aspect. He'd never felt this scared of anything outside his unnaturally dark dreams._ Pull yourself together, _he ordered himself.

Megatron was turning in every direction, blood-red optics scanning the room for any sign of him. Ordinarily, he'd have run as fast and far as possible before allowing himself to be in a confined space with this particular Con, but he was tired of running...and he'd come prepared. While Megatron had been searching the truck lot for him, distracted by his voice recording, he had been emptying the contents of his duffel bag throughout the room, both minimizing the weight on him and allowing himself easy access to the entirety of his arsenal while on the move. At the moment, he was adjusting the first piece of offensive tech to just the right angle. _Done. _Silently as a cat, Caden crept behind the next pillar on the fifth-floor catwalk, the poor natural lighting the only illumination in the room, allowing him to stalk through the shadows relatively unseen.

When he got to the next pillar, he adjusted a thin wire he had in his hand and gripped it tightly, winding it around his appendage once widthwise, then yanking hard. A high-explosive RPG streaked toward Megatron as Caden leapt to the catwalk below him, ducking into the stairwell as the rocket exploded against the Decepticon's chassis and ascending one floor to another fifth-floor catwalk as his enemy demolished the catwalk he'd been perched on with a shot from his cannon.

"This is pointless, boy. I will find you, and when I do, no amount of munitions will stop me from tearing your flimsy body apart."

Pressing himself against another pillar, Drake responded as he drew a short throwing knife from his left hip. "You sure? What if I dump all the munitions first?" Caden threw the knife, which sliced through a cable holding a small container smoothly, sending the container and the item stuck to it careening toward Megatron. One press of a detonator, and a large explosion sent waves of heat and concussion across the Decepticon's left shoulder, putting a sizable dent into the plating there but otherwise doing no damage.

Megatron laughed as he shrugged it off, a chilling sound. "Amusing. Your resourcefulness and preparation impress me, human. If you were Cybertronian, you would have made an excellent Decepticon."

"So did Hawk," Caden snarled out, his agitated voice echoing, "and he's been a pain in your ass as an _Autobot_." Diving behind another pillar, he aimed another RPG and hit the trigger, then dropped the empty tube and dove into an adjacent stairwell, practically leaping an entire flight of stairs to avoid being crushed under the rubble that fell when Megatron blew the catwalk apart. When Caden saw him next, he could see his aim had been dead-on accurate, landing a direct hit on the plating over his spark, not that there wasn't another five feet or so of additional armor keeping him from landing a killing blow. _This is so hopeless,_ his mind kept repeating, but his rising anger shoved that thought away as he dashed out the stairwell door onto the fourth floor catwalk, sprinting behind a pillar and watching in dread as Megatron fired several shots in random directions, one crushing a concrete wall about ten feet from his position.

When the salvo ended, the Decepticon lord spoke again. "Are you still alive, fleshling?"

"And kicking!" he snapped out, reaching for a six-barrel grenade launcher loaded with 40mm sabot rounds, checking its rotary track one more time before snapping it shut and sprinting out of cover, Megatron's back to him. He unloaded the entirety of the weapon's contents into Megatron's lower back, a spot he'd found sensitive on other Cons. This one was no different, except the sheer amount of armor in the way was staggering, and apart from a roar of pain and rage, Megatron didn't seem to be affected. He simply turned around and fired at the wall above the catwalk, not seeing Caden in the deep shadows but sending small debris raining down on him as he dodged the big ones.

Leaping to a lower catwalk, he ducked behind another pillar, the excess light at this floor unsettling him a bit as he grabbed another weapon, a snub-nosed, single-shot grenade launcher fitted with a nitroglycerin payload. _This oughta do some damage,_ he thought with a snarl as he checked the round inside and snapped it shut. Drake fell into a full sprint as his right hand raised and fired a single high-explosive shot into Megatron's face, dazing him and damaging his already-mangled helm, dropping the launcher and running into the next stairwell. When he cleared the second-floor catwalk and got to the stairwell on the other side, he went up one floor to get to another third-floor catwalk, ducking behind fallen rubble and digging in to recover a buried weapon.

"You have been a most elusive prey, Caden Drake. One that has evaded capture and death, and captured the sparks of both Optimus Prime and the traitor, something I wasn't sure possible."

"Only because you think of your soldiers as mindless drones. You think of people as weak, and of the Autobots as soft. You don't realize that that softness makes us harder than you in a fight, tougher." Drake hissed out the next words. "You don't realize that the fact we care for each other is the reason you always lose."

Megatron growled, and though usually, making an enemy angry made them careless, Caden was pretty sure it didn't matter in this case. Getting Megatron angry was definitely a very, very bad thing to do. "You seem to think I hold your opinion in some esteem. I don't. I merely admire your few...remarkable qualities."

"Coming from you," Caden mocked, "that almost means something." Turning the corner of his cover, he fired a barrage of his experimental trilithium-encased, high-explosive rounds from a rifle, causing a series of explosive shots to land on and around Megatron's damaged chest. When the Decepticon lord got a positive mark of where Caden was shooting from, he raised his fusion cannon and widened his optics in surprise when the human, instead of running, simply adjusted his aim and emptied the mag into his gun arm, throwing off his aim and sending his fusion shot into the wall of the floor below. When he finally got his cannon trained on the human's position and fired, Caden was gone, having leapt down another floor and ascended a stairwell to the last third-floor catwalk.

"Tell me," Megatron said, "how much further do you think you can run? How much longer do you intend to hide, skulking in the shadows?"

Caden was huddled against a pillar on the third floor, his shaking arms holding onto a large light machine gun, one of the last weapons in his arsenal.

"How much longer will you prolong the inevitable, human? When will you accept that it's over?"

Drake's terrified body refused to move, no matter how hard he pushed it. _No...no, I am not going out like this, cowering in a corner, hiding in the shadows. I strike from the shadows by coming into the light. I won't let fear compromise who I am, not even fear of him._

"No more, Megatron." His body set resolutely. "I'm tired of running, of hiding. I'm sick of staying in the shadows. Sick of letting others put their lives on the line for mine. I'm sick of letting the Autobots fight my battles for me!" Caden's smoldering rage was building, crackling into a roaring flame as he spoke. "I am _done _running from you! You want me?!" In either the bravest or dumbest move in his entire life, he stood up, turned the corner of the pillar, and unloaded his machine gun, the heavy weapon kicking hard as it sent a rapid stream of .50 caliber rounds into Megatron's massive body. "Here I aaaam!" he roared over the deafening staccato of his weapon, releasing all the anger and fear that had been building from the day Megatron sent Starscream and the others to kill him in Arizona.

Automatic rounds peppered Megatron's damaged body, finding all the sensitive and potentially vulnerable spots possible as the Decepticon tried to aim at Caden. The human just kept roaring, angry, terrified tears streaming down his face as the machine gun rapidly emptied itself of its 150-round contents. The moment the weapon clicked empty, Caden sprinted for the edge of the catwalk and leapt to the second floor, rolling smoothly on impact as years of training and willpower kicked in, his fear forgotten in the determination that he would not die today. His hands nimbly snatched a belt of frag grenades from the ground and his right hand pulled one loose, the pin ripped off by his teeth as he chucked it at Megatron, all chances of hiding gone now. As he was sprinting, Caden threw the grenades one by one, hitting Megatron's gun arm, face, anything vulnerable, constantly throwing his aim off as the Decepticon tried to nail him.

Finally throwing the last grenade, he dropped the belt and snatched another one at the end of the catwalk, leaping into the empty air as he fell the last ten feet to the ground, pulling all the pins at once and throwing the explosive satchel directly into Megatron's face. It gave off a massive, compounded explosion, and Caden could hear a roar of pain over the roar of the grenades as he rolled and sprinted out the door, unclipping his near-empty Daggertail and holding it in both hands as he ran. The wall of the factory burst open as Megatron's damaged body pursued him, rage twisting his expression as Caden rolled and spun around to fire a half dozen MA rounds at him before the Con's clawed left hand snatched him up and tossed him twenty feet onto his back, rifle flying off midair.

Groaning, Caden went for his pistol and aimed for Megatron's eyes, but had all his limbs pinned to the ground as the Deception's left hand landed on him, nearly crushing the bones underneath as he held him still, the pain causing Drake to drop the Sig.

Megatron chuckled darkly. "As I said, it's over, human. I never thought I'd say this to a fleshy insect, but...you have gained my respect as a warrior." He grinned widely at the way Caden's eyes widened. "And so I will grant you the honor of a quick death." Releasing Caden, Megatron aimed his bladed cannon directly at the human.

Still, he had anger to burn. "I won't beg," he hissed, defiant to the end.

Megatron chuckled again. "I would be disappointed if you did. Farewell, Caden Drake."

Drake's eyes widened as the cannon's blue glow flared, a soft whine indicating it charging up to full power, and Caden knew that when that thing fired, no two atoms of his body would be left next to each other. He would simply cease to exist. His entire face twisted in an angry snarl, the expression all he could throw at his killer before he died.

And then the all-too-familar, almost angry roar of a truck engine reached Megatron's audio receptors, along with a voice.

"Megatroooon!" it roared, the single word punctuated by the sounds of transformation.

He turned his cannon barely halfway toward it when a giant metal fist collided with his head, the sheer force of it sending him flying back thirty feet onto his back. When he painfully craned his neck to see his attacker, his optics found exactly what they were looking for.

Behind his scuffed and damaged battle mask, Optimus Prime's face was twisted in anger, his optics showing more than enough to get his point across to Megatron. This anger softened the moment he looked at the roughly handled human on the ground.

"Caden, are you all right?"

Drake got to his feet painfully, wincing at the effort, and nodded. "Just a little shaken up."

Optimus nodded to him. "Good. Go to the coordinates on your phone. You will find our friends there."

"But I thought-"

"The underground warehouse was a decoy, a trap. Soundwave distorted the signal in a way I could not detect unless I was looking for it. I found them."

For the first time in the entire ordeal, Caden saw a flicker of nervousness play across the prone Megatron's face, noting the sizable dent in the already-damaged right side of his face. _I hope that hurt you son of a bitch._ His eyes widened slightly as he considered what Optimus just said, and he looked up at the Autobot to see all the damage his ambushers had inflicted. "Optimus, you're injured."

The Prime shared a look with him, and he could almost swear he could see his optics smiling darkly as he said, "So is he."

As the look dragged on for another undisturbed second or two, Caden could feel in the leader's gaze that he forgave him for everything. For letting that virus slip, for running, for nearly getting himself killed in some half-cocked attempt at redemption. _Frick, I'm practically Hawk now._ His face set in determination, and he smirked maliciously. "Kick his ass, Prime."

Optimus nodded and turned back toward Megatron. "Now go!" he yelled as he charged into the massive Con, right hand drawing his longsword from his back as Caden broke off into a run.

…

"It's you and me now, Megatron!" Optimus punctuated this statement by upper-cutting him in the lower chest, adding extra dents to the sparking damage Caden had inflicted. "No more will you plague that boy! No more will you hunt him!" They grappled briefly, Megatron keeping Optimus' sword well away from his body. The effort allowed Prime to throw him off-balance and toss him another twenty feet away. "Today, one way or another, this ends."

"I couldn't agree more." Megatron deployed his fusion cannon and fired, the shot barely missing as Optimus dive-rolled to his right, slashing the longsword at the Con's head as he raised his own gun-sword to block the strike.

...

Caden had run nearly a mile by the time he saw a familiar yellow vehicle round the corner of a nearby road at a screechingly high speed.

"Bee!" he yelled desperately, still running as the car slowed to his pace and allowed him to jump in. "Go, go, go!" Bumblebee obliged him, seeming to know exactly where to go without any direction. "You know what's going on?"

"I've been briefed on the situation, Captain," the Bot replied through a broadcast.

"Then you know we've gotta break our friends out of a Decepticon supermax with who knows how many guards and no backup."

"Excuse me," Bee said in a movie quote, "that's not exactly true!"

Drake's brows furrowed at the radio. "What do you mean?"

Bee switched through a few satellite radio channels before he found the song he was looking for.

"I came in like a wre-cking ball!" Miley Cyrus sang loudly.

Caden's eyes widened. "No...you've gotta be kidding me."

"Desperate times..."

The kid gave out a long sigh and finished, "Desperate measures."

…

The series of slashes, parries and ripostes blurred together as their duel dragged on, Megatron gaining the upper hand for a moment to kick Optimus back. The Prime recovered with a rough roll, avoiding a fusion shot narrowly and left hand drawing an ion blaster, perforating part of his left arm with rapid-fire bolts. Megatron snarled and jetted into the air, coming down with his sword full-force as Optimus raised his own in a horizontal block. That was a mistake, but the Decepticon lord was falling far too fast for him to dodge, so he took the full brunt of the strike across his blade, his arms buckling as he tried to keep the blade away from his shoulder. Megatron forced the lock down another foot before he reared up and kneed Optimus in the face, further denting his battle mask and tossing him onto his back.

He fired once into Optimus' chest before the Prime's ion blaster sent an HV shell into his own, knocking him backward and staggering him, allowing his opponent to roll to his feet and subspace the blaster. Flexing his left arm, Optimus deployed his left-hand sword and engaged Megatron two-handed, forcing the former gladiator to fight at a disadvantage. Megatron's skill and jetpacked mobility more than made up for this, however, as well as the fusion cannon his own sword was attached to. More than once, Optimus was forced to dive-roll to avoid a salvo of rapid aerial shots from Megatron's cannon before his opponent swooped in again. Their duel was practically at a stalemate, both essentially trading punches at this point, and Optimus could only hope that Caden could free the others somehow while he kept Megatron busy. The old Prime was running out of tricks.

…

"I'm inside, Bee. I see them. The Autobots...they're just sitting there in stasis lock. It's the Immobilizer."

"Figures," the Bot said over his comm. as the human proceeded further into the abandoned airfield the Decepticons called home.

Lennox and the soldiers were in a massive, collective cage, defeated and sullen. All of the captured Autobots were offline, as expected. "Can we wake them?"

"Gon' take some time."

"We don't have time. What's plan B?"

"—Wrecking ball!"

"Ah, hell...do it." Caden lowered his Daggertail and marched out into the open, into the light, in clear view of every Decepticon watching the prisoners, evidently only about a dozen. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but have you seen a very expensive-looking Lamborghini around here?" He smiled maliciously at the confused expressions they had before all twelve of them drew weapons on him. He raised his hands innocently, the smile still on his face as he said, "Wreckers, wreck them all."

And just like that, the roar of a massive set of repulsor engines was heard as the Xanthium lowered itself in a hover behind Caden, all weapons at the ready. The Cons barely had a second to comprehend what was happening before precision shots from the ship tore all of them, and a good portion of the building, to shreds. Caden lowered his hands and ran for the humans' cage, hope in all of their faces.

"Caden!" Lennox shouted. "Holy hell, am I glad to see you."

"Yeah, same here, Will." Drake raised his Sig and fired at the lock once, shattering it with the MA round and turning them loose.

...

Optimus yelled in pain as yet another fusion round impacted his chassis, knocking him off balance and sending him staggering. The Prime rolled away from another shot and threw his longsword at Megatron as he subspaced his left sword and drew Dreadwing's cannon, running at Megatron full-tilt as he peppered him with a constant stream of ion bolts, mimicking the same move the now-former Con had pulled on him as he tackled Megatron. The barrel of Optimus' cannon was leveled at Megatron's head for barely a nanosecond before he slashed at the weapon with his gun-sword and elbowed Optimus in the face, knocking him off and kicking the cannon away.

"Weak, pathetic Prime!" He kicked Optimus in the lower chest as he desperately tried to stand, willing his half-broken body to move. "_This_ is why I destroyed your predecessors!" He raised his cannon, but Optimus kicked him in his injured lower chest and rose shakily to his feet.

"No, Megatron, you destroyed them because they stood in your way. In the way of your twisted view of perfection." He yelled and tackled an almost equally sluggish Megatron, pounding him barehanded and holding him by the neck with his right hand as his left held his opponent's gun-sword down. "There will always be those who oppose you."

"And I will always be there to destroy them!" Megatron punched Optimus with his free left hand and practically bench-pressed him off, then kicked him.

As Optimus rose to his feet, a very unpleasant and unwelcome feeling settled into his spark, and he just knew he couldn't win this fight.

…

"Consultant," Clark Gregg said from one of the Marvel movies.

Caden turned toward the Camaro and asked, "What is it, Bee? What's wrong?"

"Big man's in trouble!"

Drake's eyes widened, and he ran up to Lennox. "Will! Where did they take your weapons?! Please, Optimus' life is at stake!"

The major's eyes widened, and he pointed toward a storage room, which was all he needed to do. Caden sprinted inside and feverishly looked through the stack of weapons until he found one that could change everything. Picking it up, he hefted the large launcher and sprinted to Bumblebee. "Take care of the Bots!" Climbing into the Camaro, his heart raced as Bee raced off at top speed to get to Optimus and Megatron less than a mile away.

…

Megatron roared in rage and pain when Optimus slashed his left leg with one of his swords, leaving a burning line as he flipped the Con over his shoulder and rushed forward. Megatron kneed his lower chest hard and pushed him to his knees, thrusting his sword into his chest, missing his opponent's spark by a foot. Optimus groaned in agony and thrust his left sword into the former Lord Protector's right shoulder, cutting a massive hole in the joint and preventing him from thrusting his sword in any further. Megatron growled and pulled away, both swords exiting their targets' bodies as Optimus slumped to his hands and knees, unable to do so much as stand. Megatron wasn't in much better shape, but unlike Optimus, he barely had to lift his arm. And he did, holding his right arm and fusion cannon up with his left as it leveled at the Prime's chest and charged to full power.

…

Caden saw the scene through a projection of Optimus' optics through a screen on Bee's radio, and panic struck him. "Bee! Get me on that rooftop, _now_!" He pointed at a two-story building that had once served as a kind of cafeteria for factory workers.

Bumblebee responded instantly, transforming and chucking his spy friend in an arc that carried him and his weapon into a flawless roll. The moment he stopped moving, Caden could see Megatron aiming his fusion cannon two-handedly at Optimus and snarled.

"Megatron!" he yelled loud enough for the Decepticon lord to hear as his Javelin missile launcher locked onto his damaged right shoulder. "Yippee ki yay, mutha—"

A high-velocity, anti-armor missile streaked into the air from the launcher, arcing beautifully as Megatron turned to fire at its source. But he was too late. The missile shot into his half-crippled shoulder, exploding magnificently and severing the arm and cannon from his chassis. Between his previous injuries and the sudden trauma, Megatron finally fell into an emergency stasis lock, falling over on his back as his optics dimmed. Bumblebee retrieved Caden from the rooftop and drove to an injured but alive Optimus, allowing him to get out and rush over to him as Bee transformed and held a plasma cannon on the immobile Megatron.

"Optimus," Caden said, fear lacing his voice, "are you—?"

"I am...all right." Optimus retracted his battle mask, one hand covering the massive gap in his chest armor as energon and sparks leaked out. He slowly, painfully got to his feet, limping over to Megatron's limp body. Caden did the same.

"So what do we do with _him_," the boy snarled out. "Personally, I think the answer's obvious," he said, punctuating this statement with a cock of his pistol.

Optimus and Bumblebee each gave him a look, one disapproving, the other uncertain.

"We do not execute our prisoners," Optimus said resolutely.

"_You_ don't," Caden snapped, "and technically, he's not a prisoner yet."

"He is unarmed…literally."

"It doesn't matter!" Drake took a moment to compose himself. "It doesn't matter, because weapons or not, he is still dangerous. Too dangerous to be left alive." His voice dropped off to a near-whisper at the look of paternal disapproval on Prime's face. "Please...I just want this to be over." He was quiet for a while until he looked back at Megatron's face and the hateful expression he'd fallen into stasis with. "If you're not comfortable with it...I can finish him off."

Optimus crouched behind him and waited until the boy faced him to speak. "Caden, I understand what you are saying, and although it is tempting to simply end Megatron's existence, I cannot condone the execution of any unarmed sentient in cold blood."

Caden turned away and stared at the ground, right hand fingering the Javelin that still had one missile. When he looked at Megatron again, however, he didn't see the ruthless Decepticon lord, the conqueror of worlds, murderer of millions. He saw his old enemy, Raden Jadselit, a man so caught up in fixing his world that he couldn't see how he was plunging it into chaos. Everything got away from him in the end, and he turned into a cold, ruthless monster who destroyed anything and anyone who got in the way of his vision. And suddenly, Caden was disgusted with the very thought of executing him. The Javelin dropped to the ground, and its previous owner gave out a ragged breath.

"We _should _kill him," Caden said quietly. "It makes far more tactical sense. Taking Megatron out of the equation permanently would cripple the Decepticons, if not end the war." He was silent for a half minute before he looked up into Optimus' bright blue optics. "I don't fully agree with this, and I'm not afraid to say that I don't think this is a good call."

Optimus thought about that for a moment, looking at his former friend, then back to his current one. "Perhaps not, but...it is the right one."

Caden could only look away and nod.

…

2 hours later

4:13 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Using the Immobilizer itself, which was recovered from the makeshift prison the captured Autobots were found in, the Wreckers were able to reverse the induced stasis lock instantly, bringing the Bots that they all knew and loved back from a living death. Hawk was overjoyed to learn that Megatron had finally been properly kicked in the teeth, but was, like his partner, less than enthused at the fact that his spark still functioned. Lennox and Optimus agreed that the United States was not the place to hold the Decepticon leader, and so decided to ship his locked-down body to a NEST blacksite in the Sahara Desert and keep him under Wrecker-made restraints. His weaponized arm and fusion cannon were recovered by the same, and Que told Hawk that, in time, he might be able to reverse-engineer a prototype of the weapon. He was also more than happy to honor the Bot's request to be the first recipient of said prototype.

Caden had had a good laugh at that, claiming he was trying to pick up superweapons from everywhere. Hawk neither acknowledged nor denied the claim, but simply smiled and shrugged his shoulders. Starscream, Onslaught, and the other ambushers were nowhere to be found by the time NEST had enough firepower and manpower to go look for them, as expected. Jolt's body was recovered from the prison, but unlike Optimus' own a year and three months before, the Autobot medic's spark was completely shattered. There was no way to revive him, even with the Matrix of Leadership. The Wreckers and the Xanthium were sent back to Florida after Mearing arrived at the now-repopulated base and gave both Optimus and Lennox a _gigantic _earful about the whole incident, a meeting that Caden just had to escape from. Mearing was a clear step up from the previous liaison, but she still carried enough red tape to sink the entire American Navy, and sometimes it pissed him the hell off.

The minute that unpleasant business was over, Caden went and found Optimus in the medbay, where Ratchet was patching him up. Climbing onto Ratchet's desk, he waited silently, patiently, for him to finish, but Optimus requested that the CMO take a short break, as he knew his old friend had both been working on medical detail non-stop since his awakening and was mourning the violent loss of his protege. When Optimus returned his optics to the boy, he saw all the regret and guilt that Caden had kept under wraps during the rescue mission.

"I'm so sorry, Optimus." He couldn't meet his friend's gaze. "I could've...I should've—"

Optimus raised a hand to stop him. "In every war, there are casualties, and no one, _no one_ is immune to making mistakes. I learned that lesson millennia ago, one of the hardest I have ever known. Your actions, or should I say, inactions, cost the lives of good soldiers." Caden looked absolutely dejected until his ancient friend tipped his head up to get him to see that there was no accusation in the Prime's gentle optics. "They also saved my life, and the lives of dozens more, as well as the thousands that would have perished under the Decepticons had Megatron been allowed to win."

Drake had nothing to say to that, nothing he _could_ say to that. It was frank, practical...and startlingly true. It was also exactly what he needed to hear.

"So," he started shakily, "you're not...angry?"

Optimus smiled. "No. Caden, you are easily one of the finest, most noble sentients I have ever had the honor of knowing. If you had thought for one moment that that virus would have given Megatron the opportunity to cause so much pain, you would have torn your own heart out before allowing it to do so. Instead, Megatron was defeated and captured. The Decepticons are currently devoid of competent leadership, thanks to you."

His face reddened. "I just shot him with a missile. You did all the hard work."

Prime laughed, stopping due to the pain in his chest. "Hardly. I don't know many _Autobots_ who would willingly stand one-on-one with Megatron, much less a human. The only other of your kind who exhibited such courage was Sam Witwicky, and his efforts were met with equal success. I am proud to be your friend."

Caden smiled and reached out, gently fist-bumping Optimus' curled knuckle. "Same here, Optimus. Same here."

* * *

AN: Again, don't hate me for killing off characters. The only two Autobots who weren't in DOTM or AOE that I plan on keeping alive are Arcee and Chromia, just because I liked the former's character in TF Prime, and the latter...well, I just can't see Ironhide without her.

Several references I have to address for copyright sake.

*sigh*

Miley Cyrus-Wrecking Ball

Die Hard (only every movie in the series) - trademark "Yippee ki yay etc."

For the purposes of my story, I am making the following statements with regard to the TF movie timeline: Dark of the Moon occurs 2 years after the death of the Fallen. Sam graduates early. Age of Extinction occurs 3 years after the death of the Fallen.

Oya, ner vode, and please review and recommend.

P.S.: FYI, if this were a show, this would definitely be the finale of season 1.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - Marauders: attack on NEST, Caden and Optimus' flight

Transformers: ROTF - Infinite White: drive to outskirts of Dulles, explanation of the virus, plan of retribution

Transformers Promotional Score - Stumble Bumble pt. 2: Caden and Optimus ambushed, Caden's diversion

TF: ROTF - Forest Battle: Optimus ambushed, Megatron's threat, Optimus breaks free and speeds off

Transformers the Score - Decepticons: Megatron hunts Caden and tracks him to the factory

Transformers: AOE - Decision: Caden's shadow defense, grenade toss and fast exit

TF the Score - Sam on the Roof: Megatron chases Drake down, pinned to the ground, Optimus intervenes; Optimus vs. Megatron: duel begins, Bee picks up Caden, NEST rescue, Optimus and Megatron injured, Caden's missile shot

TF: ROTF - I Rise, You Fall: severing of Megatron's arm, Caden and Optimus' discussion, aftermath, congratulations


	16. Lull

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

* * *

"I don't know many _Autobots_ who would willingly stand one-on-one with Megatron, much less a human. The only other of your kind who exhibited such courage was Sam Witwicky, and his efforts were met with equal success. I am proud to be your friend."

Caden smiled and reached out, gently fist-bumping Optimus' curled knuckle. "Same here, Optimus. Same here."

…

1 month later

4:50 PM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 4 months after the death of the Fallen

Hawk snapped his holoform's head in the direction of the front door, doing a double-take at the wide, distracted grin of the young man stepping through it. He was checking a text message on his phone and coughing out a small laugh, tempting Hawk to try and hack into the phone to see what he was up to. Of course, since the Autobots practically designed its security system, the boy would immediately know of the intrusion and probably throw a knife at his holoform for it, if not scatter a few HCl-paint remover pellets into some very uncomfortable and hard-to-reach spots. Instead, he tried to find out the old-fashioned way.

"Cade, where've you been?"

The dark-haired boy looked up at him, amusement still on his face. "Out." Walking into the kitchen, he ran his hands under the sink for a while. When he was done, Hawk stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. "Chris. Took me out to watch the Wizards get their tails thrashed. I don't typically follow sports, but…" He broke out in hackling laughter. "I don't think I've ever seen a professional team beaten that badly...at anything."

Hawk nodded in distant understanding, then leaned against a nearby wall and lifted a small rectangular case from a coffee table, holding it up in front of Caden. "Shall we?"

Drake raised an eyebrow at the case, then gave Hawk a skeptical look. "I thought you were too upset to continue."

The Bot gave him an incredulous look. "That was _six months _ago." He shrugged. "I'm over it."

"Uh huh." Caden grinned, still skeptical but not arguing as he took the case from his friend and inserted Star Wars: Return of the Jedi into his blu-ray player. As they sat down on opposite sides of the couch, Cade looked over at his partner absently, noticing a strange, vaguely rectangular object he pulled from his pseudo-pockets, but saying nothing. As the movie progressed, Caden noticed his optics locked on the TV while his hands kept...scribbling on the object with a small, unknown tool. A half hour in, he spoke up. "You know, movies are meant to be watched."

"I'm watching," Hawk replied, giving him a sideways look.

Caden raised his eyebrows at him, staring pointedly at the object.

"What? I'm multitasking. I'm better at it than any human I know, present company included." With that, Hawk turned back to the TV and said no more. He responded much like anyone who was a fan of the series did, a mixture of shock, joy, tension, and finally, when the iconic Vader overthrow occurred, he leapt to his feet, fists raised in the air. "Yeeeeess!"

This time, Caden didn't laugh. He was always likewise moved whenever he saw this scene, between the music, the classic cinematography, and just the built-up anticipation for the moment when Anakin would return to the Light, and so this time, he joined his friend. They didn't sit down until the Second Death Star exploded, and everything calmed down considerably. When it was all over, they both slumped onto the couch and shared a look, then broke out into warm laughter.

"That," the Bot started, "was awesome."

"I concur. Out of all six, that one's my favorite in the whole series." They laughed a few more times before Caden saw Hawk stand and walk toward the garage door.

"Come on," he said, waving the human over, "there's something I want to show you."

Drake's eyebrows raised slightly, and he followed, climbing into his Lambo and letting his guardian take the wheel, content to listen to the engine purr quietly as he drove through the darkened back streets, the winter sky tinted blue even several hours after sundown. It wasn't until he saw the white lights in the distance and the heavy clouds above that he realized it was snowing, and the bluish effect was simply a reflection of the lights off the frozen water particles. Hawk drove smoothly up to a bluff overlooking a valley, coming to a stop six feet from the edge. Drake got the message and opened his door, stepping out a moment later, his winter boots crunching gently against the thin sheet of snow already on the ground. Hawk transformed slowly, and Caden took a moment to watch his steel-gray and chrome body morph.

No matter how many times this happened, the boy never got tired of the way they looked when shifting, the intricacies of their inner workings never ceasing to amaze him. Hawk's rear fender mounted onto his shoulders, his legs adorned with a pair of wheels on the outside of his knees, for extra joint protection, Caden figured. The same went for his elbows, making it look like the wheels themselves were the joints, when in actuality they were attached to the lower arms and legs, attached to the moving elbow and knee plates, which curved gracefully around the half-circumference of Hawk's mid-arms and legs. The headlights and front disassembled into three separate sections, the chrome back grill tucking against the lower middle of the Bot's chest as his headlights flanked its top, mounting in front of his side bumper-plated shoulders, the Autobot symbol on the front of the hood displayed in the middle of his chest.

His chrome doors found their way to his upper arms, his rear spoiler curved around his rear shoulders and bent in an inverted v, and internal, interlocking Cybertronian plating covering everything else. His feet looked booted, with slight ridges on their undersides. Caden had never asked, but the way he seemed to cling onto close-quarter Decepticons with his feet for a moment before leaping away seemed to indicate that there were some sort of retractable claws tucked within the ridges. _Would make sense, given the near-universal bird of prey motif he has._ His head, of course, was its usual contoured, ridged self, winged ears glinting with the slight moisture of the melting snow falling on them. His bright blue optics blazed with warm light, as they always did, an ever-present reminder of the vibrant life within the boy's friend and partner.

Hawk crouched and lowered his hand, picking up Caden and mounting him on his shoulder, allowing the boy to lean against his head, left arm curling around his ear for support as the Bot walked toward the edge and sat down, legs hanging over the side. Drake closed his eyes and breathed in the cold, crisp atmosphere, enjoying the beauty of his surroundings every bit as Hawk seemed to be.

"I never knew you appreciated this sort of thing," Caden said after a while.

"Me neither," Hawk admitted. "This was actually a suggestion by Optimus, to get out and enjoy this planet for what it has to offer by the very nature of its existence. To 'smell the roses,' so to speak."

Caden turned away from him and smiled. "Good advice. I think he discovered it while you were sleeping after Kiev. We went for a drive near DC. The fading spring season gave us plenty to enjoy in the way of natural beauty." Drake's smile faded sadly. "He never told me, but I think it reminded him a little of Cybertron."

Hawk looked at him strangely. "How exactly? Cybertron was nothing like this."

"Maybe not physically, but...figuratively." At seeing the Bot's continued confusion, he thought of how to properly explain it. "The peace, man. Your planet, from what I've been told, was alive up until the last days of the war. It couldn't help but deteriorate at the way you were slaughtering each other, but this place…" He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, smiling. "This place doesn't change. Species go extinct, empires rise and fall. Millions of humans could die in wars and conflicts, and other than eliminating a large portion of a dominant and intelligent species, there would be little negative impact. In fact, whatever was left of us would be broken down by the planet's natural systems and added to make up the biomatter of other life. No matter what happens to us, the planet lives on. That's what makes what we do to it so tragic. That's why a lot of people are trying to reduce the pollution output of industrial countries, and have been for a long time."

"They want to preserve all this," Hawk concluded, motioning to his snow-covered surroundings with his arms.

Caden nodded and nestled his body closer to his guardian, noting how warm his metal body actually was. "Huh."

"What's that?"

"Nothin'. I guess I just never noticed just how warm you guys are for having metal bodies."

"_Living_ metal bodies."

Drake nodded again. "Guess all life has an inherent warmth to it. Just the way of the universe, I suppose."

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Never guessed you for a philosopher."

The kid laughed. "I'm not...at all, but you don't have to be a philosopher to think deeply. After all," he added with a friendly punch to his neck, "you're about the furthest thing from a philosopher there is, and you think deeply all the time."

Hawk shrugged, jostling Caden slightly. "I guess."

They were silent a long time, Caden marveling at how his friend just seemed to emanate warmth and Hawk considering just how much his human charge had become an irreplaceable part of his life. In his million-plus years of life, the Autobot had never met anyone quite like him, so much a mirror of him, and yet different in so many little ways. Caden was driven, loyal, honorable, principled beyond belief. Above all, he was a paradox. Brutal in combat, but tender in private. Caden was by far the most vicious and aggressive human fighter he had ever met, and yet had empathy and compassion that few sentients ever came close to. In some ways, Hawk considered the boy better than himself. After all, the former Decepticon hadn't suffered true tragedy until much later in life, yet found himself under the direct command of Megatron, despite the lack of any particular driving force in that direction.

Caden, on the other hand, had his parents brutally and heartlessly taken from him at ten years old. He wasn't even close to being an adult, and yet he refused to let himself become bitter. Guarded, maybe, cold, a little, but not bitter. His relentless, ruthless days didn't come until many years and losses later, and even then he had never gone over to the other side, never served the slaughter of innocents. Even with the Sword of Primus telling him what he was now, Hawk could and would never get over the horrors of his past actions.

"Yo, Hawk." Cade stared into the Bot's optics when they locked gazes. "You okay?"

Hawk nodded and gave him a slight smile. "Fine, just...thinking deeply."

Drake gave him a knowing smile and gently patted his right ear, not speaking, as he knew exactly what was going through his friend's thoughts. _He'll never stop blaming himself, will he? I guess he can't. The blame rightly lies with him, and he knows it. No amount of atonement or assurance will ever erase his guilt._ Looking up at his vacantly gazing face, Drake nudged him with an elbow. "Hey, come here." The boy stretched out his arms and hugged a section of his massive neck, the Bot smiling and returning the favor with one hand curled around his back. "You know I don't blame you for anything, right?"

Hawk nodded. "I know."

"You know why?"

The Bot gave him a look and a slight smile. "Because you're my friend." He hesitated for a moment, looking down and away slightly before smiling a little wider. "My best friend."

Caden grinned at him and playfully punched his neck. "And don't you ever forget it."

…

2 hours later

9:15 PM

Sudley, VA

After walking back through the door of his house, Caden slumped into a recliner and fiddled with his phone, smiling at another text from Chris and sending one back before noticing the door to the garage opening again. He looked over to see Hawk's holoform walking through, that same object from before in his right hand.

"Come on," Cade said playfully, "don't hang by the door, you'll let a draft in."

Hawk smiled slightly and walked toward him, hovering five feet away as Drake rose to his feet at the look in his partner's optics. "I have something for you."

"Hawk," Caden sighed out with a grin, "my birthday's not for four months."

"I know, I just...I didn't want to wait." Raising the strangely contoured bar, he placed it into Drake's open hand and allowed his partner to examine it.

Caden observed the clearly Cybertronian design of the object, up to and including the five engraved glyphs on two opposite sides of the curved rectangular bar, before finding what looked like a slider with a button in its center. When he pressed down on it and moved the slider along its track, the object expanded and shifted in his grasp, transforming into a meter-long sword with a cross-grip finger guard and a 3-inch-wide blade that glowed slightly at its edges, much like Optimus' blades. Caden's eyes widened to their max as he gave the new weapon a few experimental swings, once again amazed at the sheer lightness of a sword that should have weighed around 30 to 40 pounds considering its design and volume. Drake returned his eyes to his partner after a while.

"Hawk, tell me you didn't cannibalize another piece of your swords to make this."

The Bot laughed and shook his head. "Nope, that's all Que. Well, all except the glyphs. The blade's made of energon, and the hilt of our transforming elemental metal, effectively making it a subspace for the blade itself."

Caden rolled the slider back, causing the sword to transform back into a 6-inch-long, 1.5-inch wide by 1 inch thick rectangular prism with curved edges and a contoured body. In or out of sword mode, the weapon's hilt had five Cybertronian glyphs engraved into it on either side of its widest face. "What do they mean?"

Hawk smiled sheepishly and looked away for a second before looking back. "I, uh, I would've let you do it, but...it was gonna be my only contribution to the project."

Caden narrowed his eyes at his partner in question.

"It's your name. Caden." Hawk smiled wider at the look of realization that passed Drake's face. "I was thinking of how exactly to personalize it for you, and then I looked at your Sig one day...and I knew the answer."

"Hawk...it's…" He gave out a sharp breath and deployed the sword again. "It's beautiful."

"Might not be the most practical thing in the world, I mean, who knows when you'll get close enough to a Decepticon to use it, but...it's a better weapon against one than a knife, don't you think?"

"Definitely." He gave the sword a few more swings before stepping away from Hawk into the wide-open atrium and falling into an intricate pattern of swings, slashes, stabs, rolls, and pirouettes, spinning the sword repeatedly and building momentum and speed until he gave one final, two-handed lunge and stopped moving. Retracting the sword, he turned to Hawk, who was gaping at him slightly. "What?"

Hawk shook his head. "I don't know, I just never thought a practical human like you would know anything about swordplay."

Caden raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? Talking to the guy who watches Star Wars?" His friend shrugged at that. "I can pick up basically anything I see, even complicated physical maneuvers, within a decently short amount of time. Comes from having both an eidetic memory and perfect hand-eye coordination. Swordplay...well, I guess it just comes naturally."

Hawk shook his head some more. "Like anything doesn't for you."

Drake looked away, suddenly pensive. "I've never been much good at expressing my feelings." His eyes drifted back to the holoform, who was staring at him intently. "Thank you, Hawk. This...means a lot to me."

The Autobot holoform smiled and nodded to him before fizzling out of existence.

…

2 weeks later

NEST blacksite, Sahara Desert, Africa

"I'm not usually one for gloating, but...in this case, I'm going to make an exception. You spent the better part of a year hunting me, tracking me, trying to kill me. Just over a month ago, you took to heart the old human adage about getting something done right, and you almost succeeded. Your mistake was thinking you could do it alone. Don't feel too bad. It's a common one. I made it. Repeatedly. Little by little, though, I realized that doing things alone was the quickest way to get myself killed. I realized that cops have partners, that soldiers have squads, that pilots have wingmen for a reason. My lone-wolf attitude was borne of fear, fear for the ones I love being harmed because of me. Yours is borne of arrogance, and that arrogance cost you your arm and your freedom.

"Your men abandoned you, your faction fled. Not one of them is loyal to you for any reason except fear, except maybe Soundwave, so when faced with a greater fear, you suddenly became irrelevant. I wonder how that feels, to be so utterly abandoned to your fate. Hawk knows. Dreadwing knows. The only reason I don't is because I was taught better than to trust a self-absorbed tyrant. That's what you are, in your core, just a capricious, murderous tyrant. You say that humanity and your kind have nothing in common, but I'm telling you you're wrong. There are a thousand men in current events and history that match your disposition and goals to a tee. It never ceases to amaze me just how similar the psychology of two very physically different species can be, and though you'll never admit it, I know you've noticed it too.

"All this is to say that I'm not surprised how the events of last month turned out, nor at the fact that I was there to see it happen, to help make it happen. I've fought your kind before, and as long as I'm in this business, I'll do it again. So, I want you to remember this moment, to remember my exact words. I want you to remember how much you looked down on humankind, how inferior you assumed us to be. I want you to reflect on everything you've done to ensure our extinction, and then, when all of this has gone through your corrupt processor, I want you to remember that I'm the man, the _man_ that beat you."

* * *

AN: Short chapter, I know. There was a giant, two-month gap between the last chapter and the next major plot point, and I knew I just had to fill it with something, so...voila. I thought it was high time that I gave an in-depth description of Hawk in his upgraded bipedal form. In case it wasn't apparent from the location and language, the one-sided conversation at the end of this chapter is between Caden Drake and an imprisoned Megatron.

Next chapter, I focus on the developing relationship between Caden and Elizabeth, as well as some of the latter's romantic past and the primary reason why she's stayed single for so long. I hope you enjoyed this short intermediary chapter. As always, please review and recommend.

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi is owned by George Lucas and Disney

Musical Inspirations:

None


	17. Hurt and Comfort

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

* * *

"All this is to say that I'm not surprised how the events of last month turned out, nor at the fact that I was there to see it happen, to help make it happen. I've fought your kind before, and as long as I'm in this business, I'll do it again. So, I want you to remember this moment, to remember my exact words. I want you to remember how much you looked down on humankind, how inferior you assumed us to be. I want you to reflect on everything you've done to ensure our extinction, and then, when all of this has gone through your corrupt processor, I want you to remember that I'm the man, the _man_ that beat you."

…

2 weeks later

10:50 PM

Manassas, VA

1 year, 5 months after the death of the Fallen

Elizabeth stumbled through her front door with Caden in tow, the younger man blinking a few times at the new paintjob in the house's interior as he laughed at the night's events. She only managed a small smile. They had, once again, gone clubbing, and Caden had made it his sole purpose to make her life a miserable, embarrassing mess. Of course, she'd pranked him right back until she saw something that completely took the wind out of her sail. Or, rather, someone. Caden, as usual, noticed, but didn't say anything, instead toning down his assault until they were able to speak in private.

"So Beth," he started, goading his way toward the subject, "what did you think of that dance mix back in the 9:30?" Silence and a vacant look were all he got. "Beth. Hello?" He waved a hand in front of her face, and she jumped.

"Woah, yeah, sorry. It was, uh...interesting."

Narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips, Caden gave her his most piercing look. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," she stuttered out, looking for all the world like she wanted to vanish into thin air.

"Beth," he said softly, stepping closer, his gaze softening slightly.

She pushed her hair back and scratched her neck uneasily, not able to meet his eyes. "It's nothing, Cade."

Lowering his head to her eye level, he gave her a firm look.

Letting out a sigh and breaking eye contact with him, she turned away slightly. "It's just...someone I used to know. Kevin Dusk. I saw him tonight."

He didn't like the way she said it. "An ex?"

She barely glanced up at him before returning her gaze to the ground. "Yeah," she breathed out.

"Bad breakup?" Drake suspected it was much, _much_ worse than that, and he was momentarily proven right.

"Restraining order."

His eyes widened. "Why?" She wouldn't answer. "Beth," he started again, a little more sharply, "why?"

Her eyes had reddened slightly, as Cade could tell when she finally met his intense gaze. "He was…" She choked on her words, unable to finish.

Drake's eyes narrowed dangerously, but his expression suddenly became strictly neutral, his lightning-fast mind immediately figuring out what the rest of that sentence was. "He was abusive."

Liz looked away and nodded almost imperceptibly. "We were together three months."

"Took that long to show his true colors?"

Her face twisted in pain at the recollection. "No. It took that long for me to do something about it."

"Why?"

She looked at him, half-expecting to find some measure of pity at her previous circumstances or disapproval that it took her so long, but found only...neutrality. His expression was utterly unreadable, and it unnerved her. "Because...I was afraid of him. He had...friends. Friends in shady business. I was afraid he would use them against me if I left him." When Cade didn't respond or change his expression, she continued. "In the beginning, he was...sweet, accommodating, doting even. It was like he thought I could do no wrong. It wasn't two weeks later when he started becoming moody and easily pissed off. It was a few days after when he first hit me. I would've walked out, right then, but…" She closed her eyes and gave a small shudder. "You have to understand, the way he was...Cade, he was intimidating. More intimidating than you, than most Transformers, even. Whenever he looked at me like that...all the fight just went out of me."

A long silence passed before Caden spoke again, his voice still monotone and devoid of emotion. "How often?"

Her eyes teared further. "Once, twice a week at first. It got worse as time went on. Sometimes as often as twice a day." She lifted her shirt slightly and exposed her lower right torso, allowing Drake to see a misshapen, lumpy scar about six inches to the right of her navel. "The one time he used something other than his fists." She didn't explain what it was. She didn't need to. "It wasn't until he was out of our apartment for a while that I got up the courage to act. I left the place, went to the nearest precinct, and told them everything. They got a restraining order against him, but since he hadn't touched me in a while, there were no marks or evidence of abuse, so they couldn't actually arrest him.

"I was so scared." Liz let out another shuddering breath. "So I left. I moved here to be closer to Chris. He helped me start over."

"Does he know the full story?"

She nodded slowly, still refusing to meet his eyes. "He's one of two now." He got her meaning. When he was silent for a long time, she looked up at him and found the emotionless mask still drawn over his face. It unnerved her. Nothing about his state of mind could be determined by looking at him, and his next words were almost as unreadable and downright confusing.

"Give me your phone." She did, and he started typing into its address book. "How long have you been seeing him around?"

"I—I don't know, maybe...three weeks?"

His eyebrows shot up and eyes widened slightly, almost imperceptibly, before he turned back to the phone and typed into it again, finishing and handing her the device. "I just gave you my number."

Her eyebrows knitted. "But...I already have your number."

"Not this one. It's my emergency line. The moment you call it, you'll get a direct line to me, and I'll immediately know you're in trouble. If he comes by here, if he tries _anything_, you call that number, and if I'm at home, I'll be here in two minutes."

She gave a humorless chuckle. "You live six miles from here, Cade." At the completely emotionless stare he gave her, her eyes widened. "Holy shit, you're not kidding." As he shook his head slowly, Liz felt a sudden pang of fear at his uncharacteristically cold expression.

Turning to leave and walking to the door, Drake turned around to her and ordered, "Remember, call me."

She nodded numbly, mouth slightly agape at the barely restrained anger that leaked through his voice. The moment he closed the door behind him, she climbed the stairs absently and pretended not to hear either the slamming of his SUV's driver-side door or the angry roar of its overtaxed engine as its driver pushed the vehicle past its safe limits of acceleration as he drove away.

…

1 week later

11:20 PM

Manassas, VA

"Beth?"

The voice from the other end of the line was a panicked whisper. "Oh, my God...Cade, he's here, he's here!" When Liz heard her front door kicked in, her eyes widened to their max in terror. "Oh God...he's gonna kill me…" Her fear-struck body was numb to anything but its fight-or-flight instinct, unable to hear the rumble of a vehicle ignition over the phone.

"Stay right there, do you hear me? Find somewhere to hide, and if you're found, stall him. I'm coming!"

The line closed, and she suddenly felt very much alone. Backing into a closet in a spare room upstairs, she held a hand over her mouth, trying desperately not to make a sound as her entire body shook. Thirty seconds into Kevin Dusk's mad search, she accidentally knocked something over and listened with hitched breath as the entire house became silent for a few moments before the thumps of her ex's steps became terrifyingly close. She screamed at the top of her lungs when the door of the closet opened and she was practically dragged downstairs. When they reached the bottom, another burst of adrenaline kicked in, and she slapped him hard, struggling out of his firm grasp for a moment before being tackled and punched in the cheek.

"Baby," he said desperately, his hands biting into her arms as he held her down, "baby, baby, stop, please, come on!" She struggled more, eventually landing them in the kitchen, where he held her back against a lower cabinet. "Baby, come on...don't fight me, dammit!" She immediately froze at the all-too-familiar tone, terror in her eyes as everything in her body stalled. He was silent for a while as his crazed eyes searched hers, his six-one, muscular body holding her arms tightly as he pressed her against the cabinet. "Why are you fightin' so hard, hon? Why did you leave?" He sounded genuinely confused, genuinely hurt. "Come on, babe, answer me."

She was shaking violently, utterly refusing to speak. His expression was apologetic, almost pitiable, but Liz knew damn well that he was anything but.

"Come on...talk to me," he added softly. "Why'd you leave, hon?"

Then something snapped in her, and rage, frustration, fear, everything he made her feel, burst forth. "Because I'm afraid of you, you bastard!" Immediately, she regretted her outburst, as the expression on his face shifted from sympathetic to downright murderous.

"Well." He reached for something. "If that's how you feel, then maybe I should show you why you _should_ be."

Liz didn't know what he was holding. She didn't care. All she knew was that whatever it was, she wouldn't survive what he was about to do to her, and her entire being shrieked in terror, though nothing came from her mouth. She was too scared, too paralyzed to hear the screeching of tires on asphalt or the rumble of a familiar engine bolting into her driveway.

…

Drake's black SUV rounded the corner before Liz's house, the lights of the two-story residence visible from that short distance. The moment he calculated it possible, he turned the car sharply into her driveway, and again when he neared her house going 45 mph, sending the car into a 90 degree turn that made it skid to a halt, but not before he kicked the door open and sprinted out while the vehicle was still in motion, his body a dark blur as he practically flew through the house's open door. In the split-second before he reached the kitchen, he saw them both: Elizabeth Hunter, his friend, terrified and crouched in a ball, and Kevin Dusk, the bastard who was threatening her with something. He didn't bother to look. Before anyone could fully process what was happening, an animalistic, inhuman roar proceeded from the direction of the door, and a moment later, the sound of a fist pounding a palm preceded a charge straight into Kevin with a blow that instantly broke five of his lower ribs.

Caden felt the impact, heard the cracks, felt the man's body give, but only distantly. Drake was no longer a man. He was an animal. He was rage itself. All civility, restraint, and finesse was abandoned for sheer, unadulterated brutality. He wanted to rip this man apart, alive, with his bare hands, and watch him die slowly, in immeasurable pain.

"How—dare—you!" Drake roared between bone-crushing blows. Bone and skin were broken, an arm raised in defense dislocated. He was slowly disassembling the other man bit by bit, painfully, kicking out his right knee before pinning him to a kitchen wall by his neck and lifting him a foot off the ground, strangling him with his own weight before looking over to see if Liz was okay. What he saw stunned him. The bruise on her right cheek was instantly forgotten when he saw the expression of abject terror on her face, as well as her line of sight. She was looking at him, not Kevin. Immediately, he dropped the man, absently hearing his wheezing breaths as he looked at a reflective surface, seeing the way his face had been twisted into something that he'd never wanted to be again. Looking back at Dusk's prone, half-broken form, he snarled and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with both hands, hoisting him a foot off the ground again and staring him directly in the eyes.

"I want you to listen to me," he hissed out, still seething in rage, "very carefully, because I'm only gonna say this once. You will not follow her, you will not speak to her, and you will not see her. You will have no contact with her _whatsoever_, because if I find out that you've been within a hundred feet of her, I will hunt you down, and I will _kill you_. Do you understand?" His voice was becoming more intense, building into a roar. "I'll snap your fucking neck and bury you in a hole so deep your own _ghost_ won't be able to find you! That's a promise, you degenerate son of a bitch." It took everything in him not to just carry out the threat right then. "Do. You. Understand?" Dusk nodded rapidly, stiffly, shaking violently. Drake smirked malevolently at how completely the tables had turned. "Good."

Hoisting him away from the wall, he half-carried, half-dragged the man toward the door and bodily threw him onto the gravel of the driveway, face-first. "Now get the hell out of my sight," Drake hissed, watching with a snarl as the man crawled back to his car and left. Stepping inside the house, he swung the door closed and locked the deadbolt, as the part of the doorframe corresponding to the handle was shattered. Turning toward the inside, he spotted Liz in the living room, curled into a ball and shaking on the couch. Walking over to her, he crouched down and silently began to examine her injuries, feeling his anger rising again and immediately stifling it. _She needs my care right now, not my rage._

Taking her hand, he led her shaking body to the nearest bathroom and sat her on the closed toilet, pulling out the first aid kit and cleaning a few cuts she'd suffered during her struggle. She noiselessly, almost numbly complied, just sitting there expressionlessly for over a minute before speaking.

"I...I thought I was going to die. He was going to kill me."

Drake raised his eyes and met hers, finding them red and watery, her face shaking as she tried to keep her composure. A moment after their eyes met, however, her delicate restraint fell completely and she burst into tears. All the anger in him vanished, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she sobbed violently into his chest. As he found her suddenly unable to move, Caden held her close and picked her up in a cradle carry, her face buried in his neck as he carried her up to her bedroom. Her tears soaked his light coat until he laid her down in her bed, still holding her close until she calmed down considerably.

"Will you...be all right?"

She gave him a shaky nod.

"Can I spend the night here? The man's clearly insane, and I just want to make sure he doesn't come back and force me to keep my promise early."

Liz nodded and buried her face in his neck again, her body shaking still but not as violently as before. "Thank you," she whispered shakily into his ear.

"You're my friend," he responded gently, tenderly. "I'd never let anything happen to you."

The girl melted into his chest as their embrace lasted long into a second minute before forcing herself to pull away. Liz immediately missed his warm presence against her chest as he got up to leave her room. Before he could get more than a step, though, she reached out and grabbed his hand. "You can stay here. In...in my room, I mean." Her face turned bright red and eyes widened at the implications of what she'd just said, but Cade only gave her a gentle smile.

"The couch will be just fine, Beth." He kept smiling warmly and gave her cheek a gentle stroke before turning toward the door and noiselessly closing it behind him.

Elizabeth let out a ragged breath of relief, not only at the night's events, but at how badly he could have taken what she'd just said. Her mind turned in a thousand directions, pondering why he didn't until she finally fell asleep, safe and secure in the knowledge that she had a guardian angel watching over her.

…

Next morning

8:15 AM

A soft knock on the door woke Caden up from his semi-waking slumber, causing his muscles to tense in alert as he sat up and stood, reaching into his rolled-up jacket and pulling out his Sig. When he reached the locked door, Drake looked through the peephole and gave out a sigh of relief when he saw who it was, tucking the weapon into the back of his pants and unlocking the door, opening it.

The man on the other side was stunned at who opened the door. "C—Cade."

"Chris," Drake responded with a nod.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same." Caden opened his mouth at the snarky expression Chris gave him, but stopped himself before sighing.

"Well," Chris said, caving first and brandishing a small box from behind his back, "I came to give this to her. It's...something from our days in high school."

"Come in then." The spy stepped aside and closed the door behind Chris, turning toward the older man and noting the strange expression on his face. "I—it's not what you think."

"Hey, I'm not judging."

"I slept on the couch," he explained, pointing to his rolled-up jacket on the sofa.

"Ah," Chris said, eyebrows knitting in confusion until he saw the broken part of the entrance's doorframe. He gave Caden a pointed look.

"It's a long story, and one I'd rather she tell you. She's still sleeping."

Douglas nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile as Caden went into the kitchen and turned on the stove. "What are you doing?"

"Making breakfast. Want some eggs?"

Chris nodded distantly as he sat on the couch, noting the gun tucked into the back of his friend's belt and wondering what the hell was going on. Unknown to them both, Liz was very much awake, and had heard the latter half of their conversation. She chose that exact moment to walk down the stairs.

"Hey Chris."

The man turned to her and stood, walking over and blinking fast at her injuries, her tank top and short pants showing the scant bandages and scabbing cuts from the night before. "What...the hell...happened?"

"Long story."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I gathered that. Wanna explain a bit further?"

She nodded slowly and gestured to a table in her small, non-delineated dining room. Liz took a seat and her friend sat opposite her as they both closed their eyes, noses inhaling deeply as the scent of turkey bacon and eggs wafted out of the kitchen and the pan that was carried to the dining room table and set on a heat-resistant mat by Caden. The girl stared at him, mouth slightly open. She'd never seen this side of him, not the caring friend, but the almost domestic provider. It...suited him, strangely enough.

"Thanks," Chris said with a nod, scooping eggs and meat onto a proferred plate.

Liz just nodded at him and smiled, doing the same as Caden wiped his hands on a napkin and took a seat next to her. Chris looked at them questioningly, snickering to himself almost inaudibly. Drake noticed, but said nothing.

"So," the older man said, "this long story. You ever gonna tell it?"

Liz parted her lips slightly and looked to Caden for support. His firm, resolute expression instantly set her mind at ease, and she turned back to Chris with a grim smile. And she told him. She told him everything.

…

2 weeks later

7:30 PM

The Lafayette, Washington, DC

It had been a long couple of weeks as Chris and Liz explained the situation to the police, the authorities finally having the evidence and witness they needed to arrest Dusk, who had mysteriously vanished into the wind. Despite Beth's not-so-subtle accusations, Caden affirmed that he was not responsible for that.

"I promised him I'd make him vanish if he went near you again," he had said. "And I always keep my promises."

Tonight, Drake had come by her house for a visit just to see how she was doing, and Liz had stumbled over her words for a while before blurting out what she'd meant to ask him for months.

"Will you have dinner with me?"

She had stared into his eyes and neutral, open-mouthed expression for a few seconds before he broke into a gentle smile and nodded, causing relief to flood through her. Now, she was sitting in a high-class restaurant in DC, sitting across from the most dazzlingly dressed-up date she'd ever had, dressed in a blue silk dress that her parents had given her. Caden was in a full tux, his jacket immaculate and tie a slightly glossy black. His half-inch hair was perfectly rounded and shaped to suit his head, and his dark eyes seemed brighter than ever, though that was probably just her imagination. To her, he looked like an angel. Angel of death, more like.

"You okay," he asked her, noticing her vacant expression as she stared at the white tablecloth, her gray eyeliner complimenting her green eyes. It was breathtaking.

"Yeah," she responded, smiling. "I'm great." Lifting her glass to her delicate, red lips, she took a long sip and laid it down, swirling the tingly liquid around in her mouth before swallowing. They sat in silence for a while, waiting for their food, before Caden cleared his throat and spoke up.

"So."

She smiled at his sudden awkwardness. "So."

He was silent.

"You've...never been on a date before, have you?"

Cade's face reddened, and he looked at her incredulously. "Excuse me, I've been on _plenty_ of dates. It's just...every time I go out with someone new, I find myself just a little tongue-tied."

Her eyebrows shot up, and she brandished a mischievous smile. "Really? You, Caden Drake, the greatest spy in the world, master infiltrator and fighter extraordinaire, are tongue-tied?" He gave her a glare, and she honestly couldn't tell if he was being serious.

"Shut up," he said, turning away with a barely restrained smile.

She broke into laughter and leaned back in her seat as he finally gave into his grin. "See, that's better. You look good when you're smiling."

His eyes met hers, and she could feel her face heating up at the way he was looking at her. His almost imperceptible smile was complemented by his brightly smiling eyes, the slight wrinkles at their edges driving her senses out of control as her mind whirled. She could almost literally _feel _his affection hitting her like a wave. Liz shook her head slightly in an attempt to clear her head. He wasn't telepathic, and it was stupid to think that feelings like that were anything but a figment of her imagination, but as her eyes locked with his again, she realized that he broke all the rules. Caden didn't need to say a thing to communicate his feelings right then, so he didn't, opting instead to help the waiter unload the food on her side of the table and his own before sitting and digging in.

She followed his example, her mouth watering at the delectable meal waiting to be devoured. They didn't speak for a full five minutes, perfectly content to just enjoy the food and each other's company.

"How's work," he asked her finally.

"Uh, good. Been pretty steady. They keep me busy without smothering me. What about you?"

Cade smiled. "Quiet. Very quiet." His smile faded a bit. "A little too quiet, if you ask me. Ever since Megatron's capture, the Decepticons haven't even poked their little fingers out in the open. Makes me feel like something's coming." He grinned maliciously. "Felt damn good to finally put the screws to him, though."

Liz nodded in understanding. "I bet. I mean, he was looking for you, hunting you for what, like, a year?"

Drake nodded. "Yep. Right pain in my ass. Wasn't the first time it happened to me, though."

She furrowed her delicate eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

He gave her a pointed look. "My past isn't something I discuss with just anyone, especially not that part of it."

Beth unconsciously laid a hand on his. "Am I just anyone?"

His eyes stared into hers, his expression guarded but uncertain. He sighed in acquiescence. "No." And he started from the beginning, from the actions on the part of his parents that set the events leading to their deaths in motion, to his confrontation with Drakon in New York, to the final battle against Raden and his misguided vision. He could almost swear she scowled slightly when he explained his overly complicated relationship with his dead arch-enemy's daughter, but he ignored his instincts and kept talking until he finished. "So," he said when it was all over, "all this to say that I've been hunted before."

Beth was gaping at him. "Wow. Just...wow." She gave out a shuddering breath and a derisive laugh. "And I thought _my_ problems were bad."

"Don't compare yourself to me. Like I told you a long time ago, I was never normal."

She looked into his eyes and noticed for the first time the foreign warmth under her right hand, glancing down briefly to see her small hand over his. Turning bright red, Liz lifted it off and put her hands on her lap, avoiding his gaze and blushing furiously until her eyes darted up at the middle of the table. His hand was outstretched, palm-up, fingers curled slightly upward. She looked up further and saw him giving her that look again, the look that completely melted her defenses and made her breath catch. She tentatively laid her hand in his, her heart pumping furiously until she felt a firm grip wrap around her light one. Then her heart stopped.

When it finally started beating again, she let out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding and broke into a tearful smile at the sheer warmth and affection in his eyes. On the ride home, she leaned against his shoulder, arm wrapped around his and head laid against his neck, eyes closed as she stroked his arm absently, Hawk taking over driving. His head tucked over hers and lips curled into a gentle smile at her small body's warmth against his side. With his free arm, Caden patted the wheel gently in thanks, and the engine rumbled in response. Striding up to the now-repaired door of her house, Drake escorted her inside like the perfect gentleman, hand in hers as they turned toward each other in the foyer.

"So," she started awkwardly.

He gave her that look and smile again. "So."

"That was…really nice."

He smiled wider and stroked her cheek lightly, causing a slight shudder to go through her body. "Good. Same here." He leaned toward her slowly, bending down slightly and wrapping his arms around her waist gently as he pressed his lips to hers with feather-light intensity. He withdrew slowly, but she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him back for another kiss, lingering there for almost half a minute, the girl whimpering slightly in relief at the gentle affection they shared.

When they finally separated, she stared into his eyes, panting gently. "Cade…"

"Yes, Beth," he asked in a whisper that drove her crazy.

"Don't leave." She gazed into his dark irises intently, her eyes pleading. "Stay with me tonight. I mean, I know you don't...and I'm not asking you to…" Beth just couldn't speak anymore.

His wide smile nearly stopped her heart again, especially as he looped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her body against his side as he led her up the stairs to her bedroom. As she settled against his warm, bare chest five minutes later, pressing her face into his hard muscles and nuzzling them gently, a feeling of peaceful euphoria washed over them both, the girl gladly snuggling against his body, the boy wrapping his strong arms around her and holding her close. In that moment, there was nowhere either of them would rather be, nothing they would rather do. Caden and Elizabeth were together, and at that moment, between the unbelievably intense feelings that they shared and the ferociously loyal guardian who was smiling knowingly in the driveway, nothing would tear them apart.

* * *

AN: Yeah, that just happened. Hope you're happy, Answerthecall. I, personally, wanted this from the beginning. Hope you guys liked the way I wrote this. I will be the first to admit that writing romance is not my strongest suit, so...yeah. Next chapter focuses on Hawk and introduces a new character. Well, a couple new and recurring characters, actually, one in particular that I hope you'll enjoy the cameo from.

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

None


	18. Road Trip

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

* * *

His wide smile nearly stopped her heart again, especially as he looped an arm around her shoulders and tucked her body against his side as he led her up the stairs to her bedroom. As she settled against his warm, bare chest five minutes later, pressing her face into his hard muscles and nuzzling them gently, a feeling of peaceful euphoria washed over them both, the girl gladly snuggling against his body, the boy wrapping his strong arms around her and holding her close. In that moment, there was nowhere either of them would rather be, nothing they would rather do. Caden and Elizabeth were together, and at that moment, between the unbelievably intense feelings that they shared and the ferociously loyal guardian who was smiling knowingly in the driveway, nothing would tear them apart.

…

3 weeks later

Sudley, VA

1 year, 6 months after the death of the Fallen

"You need to get out more."

Hawk's holoform gave his charge a sideways, eyebrow-drawn look. "I get out plenty." Caden arched an eyebrow at him disbelievingly, and Hawk rolled his optics. "Look, if you wanted to get rid of me so you and your girlfriend could...interface in peace, you just had to say so."

A look of complete and genuine confusion was plastered to the boy's face, as well as Liz, who was, like her boyfriend, sitting on the Bot's hood. The two humans shared a look before the young man flashed horrified realization and spoke up. "Woah...woah-woah-woah, there is no...interfacing happening here." He actually looked disgusted at the idea.

Hawk's engine sighed and he rolled his optics. "Of course not. Humans don't interface like we do. I mean...whatever your equivalent is."

"Hawk, you know I don't. Never have, and I won't until I'm...well…" He racked his computer-like brain for the comparable Cybertronian term, his eyes emitting recognition as he smiled slightly. "Sparkmated."

The Bot grinned at him and shook his head in disbelief. "So you're one of _those_, huh?"

Caden scoffed. "You say that like you aren't. You mean to say that when you told me Starmind and you weren't _that _close, you meant you weren't mated, but you interfaced?"

Hawk's "face" burned. "W—what? No. I—I mean, we never—"

"Exactly."

Liz looked completely lost between the Cybertronian terms and the random name thrown in, but the way their banter caused Hawk to redden, she was sure it was deeply embarrassing, and that alone was causing her to giggle. "I have," she said between giggles, "no idea what you two are talking about, but I have to agree with Cade." She slipped her small hand into her boyfriend's, patting the hood with her other hand. "You need to get out more, spend some time with someone other than the two of us."

"You don't have enough friends, Hawk."

"You say that like _you_ do," Hawk bit back, scrunching up his face as he bitterly realized that his friend was right.

"More than you, anyway."

"You once said that having a lot of friends was overrated."

Cade rolled his eyes at him as Liz looked at them both with a slightly openmouthed expression, recognizing the quote from a conversation between her and the kid when they'd first met, suspecting that Hawk had been tapped into their call. After a short silence, she realized that the Bot wouldn't have needed to listen in, just hear Drake's side of the conversation.

"Yeah," Cade said finally, "but apart from the two of us, there's no one you really talk to regularly."

"That's not true. I talk to Optimus...sometimes Ironhide."

Caden gave him a condescending expression.

"Okay, fine, I get your point. What do you suggest I do about it? Go out drinking with the boys at NEST? It's certainly been quiet enough to cut loose a little."

Drake gave him a tight-lipped smile. "No, the last thing you need to do is numb yourself. And you need to take a break from NEST. I had a cop friend once, and the one thing he said that bit him in the butt was making his life revolve around the job and the people related to it. You gotta get out, find someone who isn't related to your war in any way."

Hawk scoffed. "Yeah, like who? Who do I know that _hasn't_ been touched by this damn war in some way?"

"That's just it, _everyone_. Everyone you know has been touched, so find someone you don't know."

The Bot just stared at him. "You mean for me to make friends with humans."

Cade and Liz shared another look, the former arching an eyebrow at his guardian before responding. "Well, yeah. Why not?"

Hawk recycled his energon in resignation as he realized that Caden was right. He was always semi-reclusive, though, and had found no reason to change up to that point. _Oh, what the hell, what do I have to lose?_ "Fine. I'll stay nearby, but try and find someone who interests me."

Caden shook his head vigorously. "No. You need to get out of the DC area. Your processor is gonna get frozen with all the repeated turns and familiar sights. Go on a road trip. Travel the country." He patted the hood affectionately. "We'll be here when you get back."

"But...what about the Decepticons?"

Drake laughed. "Come on, Hawk, you know how protective Optimus is. You _know_ how serious he is about my safety, even with Megatron in chains. He'll send someone over. In fact, your sub should be arriving right about…" He checked his watch. "Now."

The throaty engine of a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro was heard outside the driveway, causing Hawk to recycle his energon in resignation and both humans to slide off his hood. Bumblebee pulled in front of the house and parked next to the older Bot, sending him a silent reassurance before three of his doors opened and Will Lennox, Robert Epps, and a very sullen-looking Sam stepped out. Hawk's holoform gave his charge a pointed look, very obviously mocking him for insisting he hang out with friends apart from NEST and the Autobots. The boy just grinned back at him.

"We'll be fine," Cade said finally, a mischievous smile coming to his face as his eyes turned in Sam's direction. "After all, I don't intend on getting in the car with Sam in the driver seat any time soon."

Instead of laughing at the reference of their first meeting, Sam gave Cade a forced smile, something that somewhat worried Hawk, but Caden shot the Bot a reassuring look that said he'd get to the bottom of it all.

"Go, Hawk," the boy said authoritatively. "I won't take no for an answer."

The Bot chuckled softly. _You never do._ "Take care of my partner, Bumblebee. If he has so much as a scratch when I get back—"

"Don't worry," the younger Autobot sung in Bob Marley's voice, "about a thing. 'Cause every little thing...is gonna be all right."

"It better," Hawk replied, mock-threateningly. "I'll see you around, Cade."

"Yep. Now get outta here, ya old man!" To emphasize his point, Drake gave Hawk's front fender a firm kick, his grin contradicting his fury.

Hawk laughed loudly before putting himself in reverse and driving away from the massive house, leaving behind his charge for what he would later claim was the longest physical separation in their friendship to date.

…

1 day later

7:30 AM

Louisville, KY

"Man, nice ride!"

Hawk's holoform turned his head toward the speaker, raising both eyebrows slightly as he considered the dark-haired woman who'd just spoken and what looked like her boyfriend, a stereotypical tattooed, beefy, sunglass-toting, Harley-riding biker. "Thanks," the Bot responded, patting his hood lightly. "It's a custom job," he added truthfully, being that the specs of his alt-mode came from Caden's original, heavily modified Lambo.

"You do all the work?"

"No," he responded, exhaling as he pushed off the hood and looked between the car and the woman, "the car is...co-owned. Me and a friend use it, but he made all the mods." Hawk didn't think she needed to know about the modifications made by Ratchet. "He's kind of a genius when it comes to auto work." He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "Actually, he's kind of a genius with anything he puts his mind to."

The woman smiled warmly and mounted on the back of her boyfriend's bike, arms wrapping around his midsection after she put on a helmet. "Sounds like someone Zeke should meet," she said, giving the man a light nudge with her head. "He's been tryin' to restore a '67 Impala for the longest time, but between previous neglect and rarity of viable parts, he's been havin' a rough time of it."

The Bot smiled lightly. "You know what they say. Suffering breeds character."

The woman laughed at the way Zeke scoffed and shook his head at the Lambo. "Anyway, we gotta be somewhere. See ya around..."

"Hawk."

Her eyebrows raised slightly. "S'a cool name. Little strange, but cool. See ya around, Hawk."

"Maybe," Hawk said truthfully, though something in the back of his processor told him he wouldn't see these two again as they rode away, the Harley's engine roaring as Zeke gunned it.

…

1 day later

12:27 PM

Atlanta, GA

On the ride down here, Hawk had spent the idle driving time looking up hotspots in the the deep South State and run across one in particular that caught his attention. Throughout his trip, the Bot had been fascinated by the various sociopolitical movements that had existed in this country, one in particular catching his attention. The Civil Rights Movement of the mid-1900s reminded him, in a way, of the Autobots' own struggle against Megatron and the Decepticons. For all their usual tendencies toward tyrannical barbarity, as evidenced throughout the history of their race, the humans had created the United States of America with the dream of ending such force-driven government, and thus far, with a few exceptions, they had accomplished it.

From the abolition of slavery to the end of legal segregation, pro-equality lobbyists had, in large part, peacefully asserted their right to protest racial inequality. Cybertron had endured sociopolitical tension before the war, but it was always with the threat of war. Here, after the initial conflict over slavery, the outbreak of a civil war had been a distant and near-impossible thought, as no issue so completely divided them any longer. Hawk wanted, above all else, to find out exactly how the humans had managed to accomplish so much without the use of force, and so here he was, his true body parked in a garage in Atlanta as his holoform trekked toward the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Passing a pair of policemen by the entrance of the park-like series of buildings, his optics scanned over them all, the old-style brick architecture somewhat in contrast with the curved, contoured designs of the structures. His gaze fell on a long, shallow pool in the middle of a rotunda, an artificial, circular island in the middle of the pool.

A large marble slab sat on the island, a wreath laid upright against its front. He strode to an angle where he could properly read the various inscriptions on it, standing next to a half-dozen tourists who were snapping pictures, wanting to remember this moment as much as he did. Of course, all he had to do was concentrate, and the images would be permanently imbedded in his processor, but the effect was the same. The name of the man referenced by the stone had come up numerous times in his research on Civil Rights, and from what he understood, Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the primary proponents of peaceful protest at the time, if not _the_ primary. Walking away from the pool toward one of the buildings, he saw a TV mounted on the wall inside it, and a black-and-white film was playing. The man himself was on the screen, delivering a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, his powerful voice resonating in Hawk's spark as strongly as it clearly affected the tourists around him.

"I have a dream," it began, continuing in a twisting, flowing statement of determination and poetry, the reaction of the crowd at that time as loudly echoed in Hawk's spark as it did physically on the National Mall in 1963. They were stirred to action, to resolution, to the realization that without their continued efforts, the forces of oppression would continue to reign.

By the end of the speech, Hawk's respect for the humans had skyrocketed._ If this young, primitive race can produce leaders like this Martin Luther King, they have a chance of forging a brighter future than Cybertron ever could. _As he left, the Bot could only hope that men like Carmine di Carmello and Raden Jadselit were outnumbered, or at the very least continued to be outmatched by men like MLK and Caden Drake.

…

2 days later

10:45 AM

Texas

It had been a long drive to the border of the US and Mexico, and truthfully, Hawk didn't see what all the big fuss was about. Even if someone from the other side jumped the border, they had miles upon miles of desert to get through before they reached civilization. Anything could go wrong during that period, between a sandstorm gumming up the engine intakes of their vehicle and, if on foot, falling prey to any one of several lethal animals, not the least of which was the scorpion. Of course, Hawk was virtually immune to both, since his Cybertronian biology was not vulnerable to organic toxins and his intakes would not be so easily damaged. All in all, the only places on this planet that worried him were the frozen arctic and antarctic, whose sub-zero temperatures and ice storms had a tendency to make metal much more brittle, making Cybertronian chasses far less durable if left out too long. Even their internal heating systems could only let them hold onto full mobility for so long.

Of course, Hawk and any other Cybertronian could hold out in full exposure much longer than any human. After all, most of the Autobots here had to endure the freezing vacuum of space to get to Earth. The difference between space and the arctic, for them, was that while space was mostly empty and devoid of matter, the peculiarly polar water particles that composed the snow and ice of the polar regions would, at some point, latch onto their armor and crystallize, each molecule bonding with the next in a chain until a sheen of ice laid on the body of the mech or femme afflicted. Despite their incredible strength, with nearly all of their exposed systems covered in ice, even they had a hard time breaking loose. Immobility in that extreme cold was absolutely inadvisable, as the motion would be all that was keeping the crystal formation at bay.

As Hawk started his long drive back to Virginia, he decided to have a little fun with it and gunned his engine, cruising his way through a cramped canyon at drastically higher speeds than were safe. As a result of both that and a slight miscalculation on his part, he accidentally put a large dent in his rear axle and fender that made his driving pattern a little sluggish. In addition, his chrome rear spoiler was knocked off when a cluster of disturbed rocks fell off a nearby cliff. He didn't mind much. In his processor, he felt that it even took away from his overall aesthetic appearance. Not long after, he came across a very interesting sign and couldn't resist pulling into the driveway of a residence off the beaten path. It was comprised of a decently large, two-story white house and a much larger barn. The mailbox on the end of the driveway said in big bold letters, "Yeager Robotics." The Lambo pulled into the driveway and parked about 20 feet from the entrance of the barn, the "man" inside stepping out and shutting the door behind him as he strode toward the building.

When he gave a gentle knock, a screeching, metal-grinding sound alerted him to the fact that the tenant wouldn't be able to hear anything so quiet. With a roll of his optics, his holoform banged a closed fist on the door hard enough to leave a dent. The screeching stopped almost immediately, and Hawk's sensitive audio receptors picked up soft footsteps coming toward him for a few seconds before the door opened and he was faced with a shorter, dark-haired man with a dark five o'clock shadow.

"What can I do for you," he asked pleasantly, wiping his hands on a welder's apron hanging off his hips.

Hawk hesitated for barely a moment before finding a good excuse. "Listen, I know your sign says 'Yeager Robotics,' but…" His voice trailed off as he looked around the barn, at the various machines and robots that seemed either defunct or in development, then at his parked true form. "How would you feel about working on a Lamborghini?"

The man's eyes widened in visceral excitement as he hurriedly nodded his head. "Go ahead and wheel it in. I'll be right with ya." He walked away briefly as Hawk strode back to the Lambo to keep up appearances and drove it into the barn, approaching the window with a bit of caution at damaging the immaculate vehicle should he so much as touch it the wrong way. When the driver stepped out, he extended his now-clean right hand. "Cade Yeager."

"Hawk," the driver responded, taking it. "Chris Hawk," he added as the handshake reached its end, realizing that just giving one name was a little suspicious. He wasn't sure why he used Caden's middle name, but somehow, it seemed to fit.

Cade Yeager turned toward the vehicle and gave it a nod. "Let's take a look." Raising the Lambo on a hydraulic lift, he lay down on a rolling flatbed and went underneath, whistling in appreciation at the parts. "You sure this thing's been givin' you issues? Everything seems okay."

"Try checking the rear axle. It was being a little rickety earlier after I took a gander through a canyon not far from here."

Cade gave him a disbelieving look. "You took a ride like this through rough terrain?"

Hawk chuckled. "He's...tougher than he looks."

The man raised an eyebrow at him. "He? I thought most vehicles were 'she's."

The Bot scoffed and crossed his arms in contempt. "Not in my experience."

Barely twenty minutes later, Hawk recycled his energon in relief as some unwelcome tension filtered out of his real body. It had taken a bit of patience and restraint, and Cade had more than once caught him wincing at somewhere he touched the car, but he was sure that he took the action as a sign of a rich car owner flinching at seeing his baby in "pain." Running a hand over the now-repainted doors, he admired the fully two-tone look of his vehicle mode. His fold-upward doors were now a bright silvery chrome, along with his front and rear grills, as well as all of his tire rims. He wasn't a vain Bot by any stretch, but, much like his partner, Hawk could appreciate aesthetics better than most.

"There ya go," Cade said finally, wheeling out from under the vehicle and lowering it to the ground. "Should be good as new."

_Buddy, _Hawk thought with a grin, _you have no idea._ "Thank you very much."

"Here's my card." He handed the Bot a thin card with his name and information. "In case there are any complications."

Hawk smiled. "Thanks, but, I doubt there will be. And besides, I don't even live around here."

Cade nodded. "Well, enjoy."

"You too," the Bot said with a mirthful grin as he wirelessly transferred several thousand dollars from Caden's bank account into Cade's. He didn't think his partner would mind, especially since he had billions to work with anyway. Striding over to the car door and closing it behind him, he darkened his windows and let the holoform fizzle out, backing out of the open barn door to see a shorter blonde teenage girl saunter out of the house and stop to stare disbelievingly at the gorgeous car currently backing out of their driveway. The irony of the meeting wasn't lost on him. _Just to think, Cade tells me to get out and hang with people other than him, and I run into another Cade anyway. _The gray Bot gunned his engine, more than happy to stay on the road after his last encounter with Earth's "scenic routes."

…

7 hours later

6:32 PM

Mojave Desert near Las Vegas, NV

Hawk was cruising along toward Sin City, the sun having long gone down, the lights from the distant settlement the only illumination apart from the stars. Going to this place was to serve a dual purpose: to observe the true debauchery and deception mankind was capable of, and to potentially find a new vehicle mode, not that he was complaining about his current one. Caden, as in most things, had impeccable taste in vehicles, and he did his custom jobs well. About ten miles out, the stars and city lights were suddenly outshined by the presence of a falling meteor, its underside red and glowing from the heat of reentry. Unlike most people, though, Hawk knew very well what most large meteors were when they fell here on Earth.

The Bot hit the gas hard and turned sharply, going off-road toward where he predicted the new arrival would land. Energon started pumping through his system on overdrive, his spark equal parts excitement and anxiety at the possibilities of having either a new Autobot or Decepticon. As expected, the meteor's descent arc petered out and leveled off somewhat until it dragged across the rocky desert floor and crunched to a stop a quarter mile from the impact zone. Hawk was driving toward it at max speed, but even he couldn't outrun two others on an intercept course. Overhead, the darkened silhouette of an F-14 and flanking AV-8b Harrier were seen, and Hawk hit the overdrive at the realization that they were Seekers.

Despite his best efforts, the Decepticons got to the crash site first, and the moment he arrived, he could see that they were none too happy about the new arrival. He recognized the first Seeker, the AV-8b immediately, and it wasn't the last Con who had that form, either.

"Skywarp!" he shouted as he transformed to bipedal mode and felt his battle mask snap shut as he charged the two much larger Decepticons.

The Con in question turned to him and snarled, firing a missile in his direction. The Autobot specialist easily dodged the projectile, falling into a roll and dashing toward Skywarp, who utterly forgot about the new arrival to engage his new enemy. The large Seeker brought his fist down hard as Hawk ducked away, easily evading the clumsy blow by using his smaller stature to his advantage. The Con had an easy ten feet on him, but compared to Dreadwing, he was small game. The only reason Skywarp had been able to deal him a nearly mortal blow the last time was because he was protecting Caden. Now, there was nothing holding him back, nothing preventing him from going all-out against the maniacal Seeker, and more, he had the Sword of Primus.

A dark mirth settled into Hawk's spark as he dodged yet another blow from Skywarp, barely sparing a glance at the other Seeker to verify that he wasn't Thundercracker. Skywarp, he could take, but not both partners at once. Pulling the collapsed Sword of Primus from his back, Hawk smirked as it expanded at his touch, glowing hotly as he slashed it through the thickest portion of Skywarp's armor with little resistance. The Con immediately shrieked and drew back in pain, calling for backup in Cybertronian, causing the other Seeker to release the neck of the new Autobot and rush toward Hawk with a jetting dash that even he wasn't quick enough to dodge. As Hawk was pinned to the sandy ground by the other Con, Skywarp fired a missile at the other Autobot, causing him to leap sideways and morph both hands into cannons.

Blue plasma bolts streaked toward Skywarp from both barrels at a rapid rate, firing a round from each every fourth of a second and forcing the Seeker to withdraw slightly. Taking the Seeker pinning him down by the crest on his head, Hawk brought the beak of his mask into his left optic, knocking it loose and causing him to yell in pain and relax his grip. Hawk immediately took advantage of his new leverage and swung his legs up, grabbing the Seeker around the neck and using his hip servos and entire body weight to throw him thirty feet away. Retrieving the Sword, he charged at Skywarp, who was currently taking potshots at the new arrival from an airborne position, firing missiles and .50 caliber rounds in alternation.

Hawk aimed carefully and gave a dragged-out yell as he threw the Sword, which imbedded itself neatly in Skywarp's right shoulder as the Bot's plasma caster drilled new holes into already smoking spots on his armor. The Seeker shrieked again and faltered in altitude before he jetted straight at the new arrival at a devastating speed. The Bot in question leapt straight upward at the last second, grabbing the Sword's handle and yanking it out as he somersaulted over Skywarp, putting three more plasma rounds into his back with his free hand as he fell. The Seeker landed with a crash and was having a hard time moving with his injuries. His backup laid down a pattern of suppressive fire with an energon repeater as he scrambled over to Skywarp, supporting him with one shoulder while dragging him off.

Both Autobots chased after them, guns blazing with plasma fire for another ten seconds before they both blinked out of existence.

Hawk recycled his energon in frustration. "Scrap." He subspaced the caster and looked around for the Sword of Primus, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw it in the hand of the newcomer. As the fight was now over, he had the first chance to truly observe the new arrival. The Bot was a silver-and-navy blue mech, his 19-foot body clearly protoform, with wheels and other necessary parts for a car, but far less...structured than a Transformer with an Earth-based vehicle mode, which was not surprising, considering he had just landed. And he was young. Maybe not as young as Bumblebee, but young nonetheless.

"Pit of a fight," the Bot said, verifying his youth by voice. He extended his hand, already mimicking human gestures. "I'm Smokescreen."

Hawk returned the gesture, letting his mask slide back into its subspace as he gave Smokescreen a professional look. "Hawk."

Smoke's optics widened. "Hawk, as in _the _Hawk?"

The other Bot recycled his energon and gave out an audible sigh in addition. "Yes, _the_ Hawk. I seem to remember your designation from somewhere in my processor, yet I don't recall ever meeting you back on Cybertron."

The silver Bot looked away in shame. "Yeah, well, that's 'cause I was assigned to homeguard duty." His fists clenched. "And I failed even at that."

Hawk's optics narrowed. "Wait...I remember you now." Their optics locked as Smoke looked up with anxiety. "You were assigned to guard the Hall of Records in Iacon. Yes...I remember now. Part of the Elite Guard, right?"

Smokescreen shrugged, his expression absolutely dejected. "Not that it meant much. I never even had the chance to fight back."

Hawk laid his hand on the younger Bot's shoulder. "The day Iacon fell, most didn't." His grip tightened as his processor involuntarily went back to Starmind...what used to be Starmind. "No one saw that coming. Not even me. Trust me, blaming yourself for what you didn't do won't help."

For the first time in their conversation, Smokescreen seemed to loosen up a bit and gave him a small smile. "Coming from _you_, that means a lot."

It didn't surprise him. Most younger Autobots knew the general history of Hawk's past as a turncoat, but very few of them knew the extent to which he had well and truly been a Decepticon. As a result, most viewed him as a figure to be admired, as a hero, even, despite his efforts to persuade all of the contrary. A police siren in the distance snapped Hawk out of his reverie, and he realized that the humans would be sending first responders toward the source of the explosions. "Well, we can catch you up on everything later. Our first order of business is to get you an Earth-based vehicle mode."

Smokescreen nodded in agreement. "Optimus' message said as much. He _is_, I mean...he's here, right?"

Hawk cringed slightly. "Not...here _exactly_. Couple thousand miles in that direction, actually." He jerked a thumb toward the general direction of the east. "Now come on." He transformed and watched as Smokescreen formed a predominantly silver Cybertronian sports car with an angular front and navy blue streaks on his hood and rear.

They both drove toward Vegas, toward the car show that Hawk had been interested in earlier, where the older Bot directed him. His strange car form dazzled the humans that were there, most of them wondering who made it and where they could get one. Smokescreen wandered the rows of parked cars, turning aside and taking an intense interest in the Lamborghini lot. Hawk smirked slightly as the young Bot came to one in particular: the Lamborghini Egoista, a single-person, aviation-inspired vehicle that resembled his current form so closely, he was wondering what Smoke was waiting for. As if on que, a series of green beams swept over the car from Smokescreen, and his parts shifted to resemble it exactly, albeit with his previous paintjob, causing more than two dozen humans to gasp and point in shock and Hawk to mentally facepalm at the Bot's indiscretion.

_Really gotta have a talk with him about the whole idea of "robots in disguise," even if the whole damn planet_ does_ already know we're here. _As a result, Hawk's engine rumbled annoyedly at Smokescreen, causing the car to shimmy innocently before he followed Hawk out of the car show and back east. Hawk opened a private comm. line to Optimus and gave a full report on the new arrival and the circumstances of his landing as they drove.

…

2 days later

8:00 AM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"I apologize for not getting to this sooner, but I hope you will understand why I could not."

Smokescreen smiled reassuringly at Optimus. "Of course, Prime. I mean, from what you said in your message, the humans always need to know when one of us gets here, right?"

Optimus nodded. "Right. Major Lennox, Director Mearing, I would like to introduce you to our newest member, Smokescreen."

"A pleasure," Will said warmly.

"What he said," Mearing added with slightly less warmth.

Smokescreen was not to be dampened, though, and his expression kept progressively brightening. "Optimus, I just want you to know that it's a privilege to finally meet you, much less be working with you."

Hawk couldn't hold back an exaggerated roll of the optics as he facepalmed and shook his head. _Rookies…_

"The honor is mine, Smokescreen," Optimus responded with a nod. "For now, you will be assigned temporary quarters in one of the vehicle hangars, but we will be sure to find you more suitable accommodations soon."

"I understand, Prime. Thank you."

Optimus strode off with the newcomer as Hawk looked on, his processor occupied with too many thoughts to notice the small form at his side.

"Hey."

Hawk looked down and smiled tiredly. "Hey. That was a long road trip."

Caden grinned. "It was supposed to be."

"I take it you didn't get into any trouble?"

Drake shrugged. "No more than usual. You?"

"Ah, ya know, drove through a canyon, ran over some Cons, went to Vegas." Hawk grinned evilly. "Even dropped a couple thousand dollars from your account."

Drake's eyes became saucers. "You...gambled away my money?"

The Bot stared at him in confusion for a few seconds before realizing his error. In the context, it would seem that he was implying just that. "Oh, no, no, no. I used it for repairs. Had a few dings in me after I went through that canyon. Pretty rough terrain on your world." He shrugged. "Nothin' I couldn't handle, though."

Caden crossed his arms. "Uh huh. And who exactly repaired you?"

Hawk smiled at the recollection. "It's actually a funny story. That canyon, it was in Texas. Didn't get very far when I found a potential repair place. Off the road, not well advertised. If I hadn't driven right past it, I wouldn't have known it was there." He saw Caden's eyes narrow slightly as he started thinking hard about something. "Anyway, there was this mechanic, uh...inventor, really. At least, it seemed that way from the look of his—"

"Barn," Caden finished for him. By the look of sheer surprise on the Bot's face, he could tell he hit the mark.

"How'd you know that?"

Drake smiled. "Because I met him once. Cade Yeager, right?"

Hawk rolled his optics. _Of course he met him. Who_ hasn't_ he met? Optimus, Megatron, probably the President of the United States. _Though, Hawk had to admit, that last bit was likely without the President's knowledge.

"Don't be a hater. We innovators have to stick together."

"How _exactly _did you know him?"

"Well...I wouldn't say I_ know _him, but, I consulted him on a case I was working near the border. He helped me reconfigure a UAV processor so I could send it into a rogue DEA operation as a sleeper. Of course, he never knew the whole truth about what happened, but I flashed him a CIA badge on our meeting and he stopped asking questions right quick."

Hawk mock glared at him. "So what are you, Caden? Like, a soldier, spy, and scientist all rolled into one?"

Cade smirked. "I told you a month after we first met. I'm the perfect human specimen."

The Bot shook his head and put his hands on his hips, both of them lost in thought for a few moments before Caden spoke.

"So what do you think about the new guy?"

"He was a part of the Iacon Elite Guard on Cybertron. Anyone who can say that, no matter their capacity, has the potential to be a great asset. I just need to root out his rookie tendencies."

Caden raised an eyebrow at him and smirked. "You? All by yourself?"

"Well, no, of course not, but...apart from maybe Ironhide, I'm the best Bot qualified to train him. Especially if he's a potential Infiltrator, which is likely, considering how he flowed in combat."

The boy nodded slowly before a thought ran through his head. "Oh, Que wanted to see you about something." He jerked his thumb toward the armory for emphasis, and Hawk nodded. "I'll wait for you in the usual spot."

Hawk didn't waste any time and fast-walked over to the armory, spotting the blue Wheeljack not far away. "Hey, Que! Cade said you had somethin' for me."

The genius Bot's optics lit up in excitement, an expression that blossomed completely on his face. "Yes," he said, sheer, unadulterated glee in his voice as he reached over to a Wrecker-made, hard-sealed case and punched in the code to open it. Reaching in, he pulled out a snub-nosed, 6-foot-long weapon with a smooth, vertically rectangular barrel. The front of it was flat, with gentle curves at the edges, and the barrel had the same dimensions the whole way to the handle, which jutted out of its bottom along with the trigger and guard.

Hawk's optics widened to their max. "Is that…?"

"Yep," Que answered, handing the weapon over gingerly. "Give it a go, laddie."

Hawk received it with care, his right hand finding its way to the handle and index to the trigger-guard. He strode over to the base's highly durable firing range and thumbed the gun's safety off, feeling it hum in response. Upon seeing another button just above the safety, he looked over at Que, who nodded his encouragement and watched as Hawk pushed it. The weapon whined familiarly, a sound he'd only heard from one other weapon before, and he smiled as a series of lights on its side peaked in intensity after two seconds. Pointing it down the range one-handedly, he pulled the trigger once and watched in sheer elation as a target was not only blown to bits, but those bits were propelled toward the far wall with concrete-shattering force.

Staring at the miniaturized fusion cannon, Hawk ran a hand over its barrel affectionately. _Primus, this'll do some damage. _"Que," he said, vocals trembling slightly, "you've outdone yourself."

The inventor was grinning. "Glad you like it. It's not as powerful as Megatron's, but it's energon-efficient, and like you just saw, it'll do a scrapton'a damage. The only downside I've found thus far is the kick, but I think the benefits more than outweigh the risks."

"Risks? The only risk there is is having to wait a second or two to get the weapon back on target, but if I fire this thing right the first time, somethin' tells me I won't often need a second shot." He laid a hand on the inventor's shoulder before he pulled his plasma caster out and offered it to Que. "It served me well, 'Jack."

The inventor gave an exaggerated bow. "Glad to be of service."

…

5 minutes later

"So, how'd you like the road trip?"

Hawk's engine purred in enjoyment and blissful remembrance. "Like most of your ideas, that was a very good one, Cade. I learned...more than I ever thought I could." There was a long silence as they passed by two more exits on I-66. "What about you? What'd you do for the last week?"

Drake shifted in his seat uncomfortably and tried to suppress a grin. "We, uh...well, remember when I said we didn't get into any more trouble than usual?" The engine went nearly silent, and Caden shrugged, giving into his broad smile. "I may have downplayed it a bit."

"What happened," Hawk asked, annoyance seeping into his tone.

Caden's smile was all teeth. "One word, Hawk. Sideswipe."

The sound that came from the engine might have been a sigh. "Primus help us…"

* * *

AN: Finally introduced Smokescreen! If it seems like he's the rookie Bot from TF Prime, that's because he is. Or, at least as close as I can write him. I've been wanting to get to this point for a while, so...yay. He's important, if the hinted mentorship between him and Hawk was any indication. Next chapter will be stories of Caden's...escapades with Sideswipe, most in an attempt to cheer Sam up. You'll see why he needs it.

As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to more. After next chapter, there are only six months left to write before Dark of the Moon. I'm so excited!

Live lively and please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

None


	19. Sideswiped

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Smokescreen

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

* * *

Drake shifted in his seat uncomfortably and tried to suppress a grin. "We, uh...well, remember when I said we didn't get into any more trouble than usual?" The engine went nearly silent, and Caden shrugged, giving into his broad smile. "I may have downplayed it a bit."

"What happened," Hawk asked, annoyance seeping into his tone.

Caden's smile was all teeth. "One word, Hawk. Sideswipe."

The sound that came from the engine might have been a sigh. "Primus help us…"

…

1 week ago

10:33 AM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 6 months after the death of the Fallen

The throaty engine of a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro was heard outside the driveway, causing Hawk to recycle his energon in resignation and both humans to slide off his hood. Bumblebee pulled in front of the house and parked next to the older Bot, sending him a silent reassurance before three of his doors opened and Will Lennox, Robert Epps, and a very sullen-looking Sam stepped out. Hawk's holoform gave his charge a pointed look, very obviously mocking him for insisting he hang out with friends apart from NEST and the Autobots. The boy just grinned back at him.

"We'll be fine," Cade said finally, a mischievous smile coming to his face as his eyes turned in Sam's direction. "After all, I don't intend on getting in the car with Sam in the driver seat any time soon."

Instead of laughing at the reference of their first meeting, Sam gave Cade a forced smile, something that somewhat worried Hawk, but Caden shot the Bot a reassuring look that said he'd get to the bottom of it all.

"Go, Hawk," the boy said authoritatively. "I won't take no for an answer."

The Bot chuckled softly. _You never do._ "Take care of my partner, Bumblebee. If he has so much as a scratch when I get back—"

"Don't worry," the younger Autobot sung in Bob Marley's voice, "about a thing. 'Cause every little thing...is gonna be all right."

"It better," Hawk replied, mock-threateningly. "I'll see you around, Cade."

"Yep. Now get outta here, ya old man!" To emphasize his point, Drake gave Hawk's front fender a firm kick, his grin contradicting his fury.

Hawk laughed loudly before putting himself in reverse and driving away from the massive house, leaving behind his charge for what he would later claim was the longest physical separation in their friendship to date.

A minute after he left, Cade turned to the new arrivals and smiled. rubbing his palms together excitedly. "So...what to do…"

Epps and Will shared a look, then shrugged noncommittally. Drake's eyes scanned over all the humans present, settling on Sam as his gaze perused the teen's sullen expression.

"Sam." Caden raised his eyebrows concernedly. "You okay?"

He shrugged, his expression absent and distant.

Walking up to the kid, Drake startled him by putting an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, what's wrong?"

Sam's eyes darted to each of their concerned expressions, looking at the ground a moment later before speaking. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Promise," Cade said seriously.

"Mikaela...she broke up with me."

The eyebrows of all the other humans except Liz shot up and eyes widened at that declaration, but Drake was the only one to speak. "What? Why? I thought...I thought you two were—"

"We were," Sam cut in, his tone mournful and depressed. "I honestly don't know why. I guess...I guess she took my 'need to be normal' a little too far. It's not like she has anything against you guys…" His voice trailed off distractedly as his gaze drifted pointedly to Bee, who rumbled comfortingly next to his charge.

Cade's grip on the kid's shoulder tightened, and he was silent for a few moments before shaking his head slightly in confusion. "Why on _Earth_ would we laugh at you for this? No one likes break-ups, especially with someone who means a lot." Sam shrugged again and stayed silent at this. After another minute or so of silence, the spy's expression softened even further. "If you don't want to talk about it with us, it's fine. I more than understand." A silent nod from Witwicky answered him. "Come on," Caden said after another pause, slapping his shoulder firmly, "let's get your mind off things." Drake nodded to the others, who went inside to grab brunch.

…

2 hours later

12:20 PM

It was official. Samuel James Witwicky was absolutely _miserable_. Nothing cheered him up. Not food, not games, not movies, not even Bumblebee. Nothing in Caden's house even remotely interested him. Unlike Drake's own limited experiences with serious romantic loss, Sam had no one to take revenge on, nothing to beat to a pulp to get out his frustrations, not that he would have, given the chance. When it became clear once again that Sam was going to be the bump on the log for the entirety of the day, a thought popped into the spy's head, and he grinned mischievously at it, something he would never have even _considered_ before meeting the Autobots.

"Bee," he whispered to the Bot's holoform, "we're taking the others to NEST. We gotta find a way to cheer Sam up, and there's only one possibility coming to mind."

The Bot raised an eyebrow at him in question and suspicion at the grin plastered to his face.

"Sideswipe."

Bumblebee's optics widened to their max, and his holoform gave out a few discreet beeps and nods that let him know he was in full support of the idea, even though it would likely land all Bots involved in the brig. "Could be—trouble."

"That's the point, Bee." Cade grinned wider. "And we're only in trouble if we get caught."

…

1 hour later

1:30 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"What do you want, squishies?"

Caden tried hard not to roll his eyes at the silver Bot currently occupied with sharpening his Cybertanium swords and instead focused on keeping his voice level. "We need your help, Sideswipe."

Sides raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? Why don't you just ask your pet guardian? He seems to be more than willing to bow to your every wish."

Caden smirked. "Yes, which is precisely why he's not available right now." He didn't explain further. "Here's the bottom line. Sam needs your help to take his mind off some...uncomfortable topics." The boy in question was nowhere in sight. Liz was currently distracting him with one of her many college stories, as was the plan until Cade was finished setting things up with Sideswipe.

"What kind of...uncomfortable topics?"

"Well…" He scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out a Cybertronian comparison for Sam's situation and finding none. Shrugging once, he decided to go for the direct method. "Let me put it this way, he's suffering from heartbreak."

Sides' optics drifted off for a moment as he looked it up, then widened as they returned to Caden's form. "So...he was ditched by that human femme. Unexpected." The Bot drew up to his full height after subspacing his swords, then crouched to one knee in front of Caden. "So, you needed help getting the kid's mind off the loss, and you came to me."

Drake nodded. "Can you help?" Caden couldn't be sure, but he saw the ghost of a smile on Sides' face before he nodded. Caden went into the next room and grabbed Sam's arm, practically dragging him over to Sideswipe, who was grinning evilly.

"So, Sam." The boy gulped at the Bot's greeting, especially when he leaned in close, his face barely a foot from Sam's. "What do you know about pranks?"

…

3 hours later

4:25 PM

There was only one thought running through Caden's head as he and Sam crouched in the shadows next to Ratchet's medbay. _This is insane._ His utterly gigantic grin at the situation belied his "unease," though, and even Sam seemed excited at the prospect of what they were about to do. Sideswipe had gotten the idea for this particular prank from a few of Ratchet's files from their first landing on Earth. He had been in the Witwickys' backyard in Tranquility, trying to stay quiet and hidden, when he accidentally ran into a pair of power lines and caused a neighborhood-wide blackout. After the initial impact, he told Ironhide that it was "tingly," and encouraged the other Bot to try it.

Cade barely suppressed laughter at the silently creeping Sideswipe coming up behind their dear medic, and he could see that Sam was on the verge of cracking up as well. Lennox and Epps were decidedly not to be a part of any of the pranks, both for plausible deniability and the clout to bail them out if any of their "operations" went south. Liz was the distraction.

"So...Ratchet, right?"

"That is correct," the yellow medic responded, barely sparing her a glance from a datapad he was studying intently.

"Do you ever...experiment with human physiology?"

Ratchet gave her a horrified look. "Of course not! Primus, why on Earth would I?"

Liz raised her hands placatingly. "I'm just saying, with tech like yours, the kinds of modifications you could make to our biology-"

"Are extremely dangerous. Most of our technology is utterly incompatible with human physiology, or worse, it could be harmful, potentially _deadly_, even. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is energon."

Elizabeth mouthed a silent "ah" and leaned back against one of the Cybertronian-sized berths, glancing to the side and biting her lip to contain her laughter as Sideswipe pulled a pair of power cables out of one of the medical scanners, causing Ratchet to furrow his brows in confusion at the suddenly skewed data he was getting. Barely a second passed before Sides threw the exposed cables at the confused medic and wheeled past Liz, picking her up as he skated out of the medbay. Ratchet yelped with the sudden current coursing through his body, and his sirens blared loudly as he fell over, optics wide as his systems overloaded. Sam and Cade busted out laughing as Ratchet kept jolting even after the cables' overload safety systems tripped and cut off the current, the former laughing harder as he remembered his roommate Leo looking similar after tazing himself.

Ratchet gave them a murderous look from where he was lying, then stared at the massive cables, wondering how on Earth the humans could have moved them, much less thrown them at his shoulders. Suddenly, with sharp realization, his optics widened and face twisted in rage as he leapt to his feet unsteadily.

"Sideswiiiipe!"

The two humans were floored with laughter, as was Liz, who was perched in Sides' hand as Ratchet sprinted out of the medbay into the base proper only to topple over again as residual electricity shot through him. The soldiers who were passing by did a double-take at the seizing Autobot, who was scrambling to his feet and running toward Sideswipe with jerky steps, his parts twisting in absurd angles as the shocks continued to jolt him. Sides easily avoided the now-clumsy and imbalanced mech, but when he steadied completely, his optics widened and he put some extra speed in his wheel skates, glancing over his shoulder just in time to see Ratchet get shocked when he touched a jeep.

"Primus, what the—?" When Ratchet stepped back and nudged the back of his leg against another metal vehicle, he jumped forward when he received another shock. In fact, any time he touched or even got near metal, he received a comparatively strong shock.

All eyes of the human conspirators turned to Sideswipe, but only one spoke.

"Sides," Cade said in confusion, "what did you do?"

"That _slagger_," Ratchet started, interrupted by a yelp from yet another shock, "polarized me!"

"Polarized…" Drake's eyes widened. "You mean he gave your entire body a positive charge? How?"

"My question exactly," the medic responded through clenched teeth, trying desperately not to move.

Just then, Bumblebee sauntered in from another room and ran right up to Ratchet, oblivious to the fact that he was polarized. "Wassup my man?" The moment Bee gave his friend a slap on the shoulder, they both tensed up and seized as electricity shot through them both with the biggest static shock in history.

It was Sideswipe's turn to get floored as he bent over, needing to drop Liz off as his face smacked the ground. "It's...addictive, isn't it?"

Ratchet stared at him in confusion, his entire body shaking again until he got exactly what the prankster was referring to. "It was a one-shot deal, you miserable-" He didn't finish the sentence, preferring to charge at Sideswipe, who barely had the strength to flee. Ratchet pulled a wrench from his subspace and tossed it, but another jerk knocked his aim off and sent the flying metal into a wall, causing several soldiers on the other side to yell indignantly. When the medic rounded a corner and was shocked by one of the support girders, he noticed that the jolt was far less than before and immediately concluded that his charge was somewhat rebalanced when Bumblebee touched him. There was a lot more to leech off, though, and it would likely involve touching every metal object on base, something that he was not looking forward to.

Glancing behind him, Ratchet saw that Bumblebee had joined the chase, and was also seizing, buzzing angrily as he ran past Ratchet, accidentally tackling Dino and shocking him as his charge was even more balanced. Ratchet took the opportunity to touch both of them and flinched at the shock before resuming his chase. All in all, it took ten minutes and interference by Ironhide before Sideswipe finally had nowhere to run and found himself picked up by the back of the neck as all the charged Bots touched him at once. What they didn't know was that Sam and Cade had rigged an electromagnet to the end of Ironhide's hand with his permission, pointing it in Sideswipe's direction as he held the Bot in place. In effect, the full extent of the charged Bots' afflictions was transferred to Sideswipe, and everyone present laughed their asses or afts off at how he tried to skate away, instead falling into a spazzy pattern of circles and sharp turns, unable to keep his direction on his wheeled feet.

When Sideswipe gave the humans a look of betrayal, they simply shrugged and stared back with innocent eyes, their evil grins betraying their true feelings. When the Bots and humans got over their amusement at the prankster's predicament, Ironhide literally wrangled him with an insulated ten-foot pole and dragged him off to the brig like a stray dog.

…

2 days later

"You sure about this?"

Sam nodded emphatically at Caden as a recently-released Sideswipe shook his head in disbelief and hefted the human. "Right in front."

Mearing was having a meeting with Optimus in her office, the Bot's holoform listening patiently as she once again outlined her grievances with rogue operations and operatives, namely a forest fire in Minnesota that was "accidentally" caused by a nitro-toting muscle car a week earlier and ended up destroying two fields of "legal" marijuana. She was also, as always, scolding Optimus for trusting an "unsanctioned" spy, obviously making a reference to Caden. What happened five minutes into their conversation caused both of them to jump straight out of their seats in horror. Right outside her window, Sam free-fell fifty feet and landed with a loud smack, causing both directors to share a look before sprinting out of the room and getting to the ground floor. Sam's body was lying flat on the ground, face-down, an expanding pool of blood soaking his clothes as everyone present stared on in horror.

Lennox and Caden sprinted over to him, the latter putting a finger to his throat and looking infinitely mournful as he spoke. "He's gone." When he turned back to the "corpse," his shoulders shook in silent laughter at the very convincing dead face Sam was giving them all.

"Why," Optimus asked, clearly affected.

"Mikaela broke up with him. He was depressed." Drake shook his head in sorrow. "I wish I could've stopped him." After another long, staring silence, Caden leapt to his feet. "He deserves a proper burial."

Optimus was nodding to him gravely, but Mearing was just staring at the whole scene in disbelief, as if all of this were some practical joke and he was going to get up any second. _Lady, _Caden thought, desperately hiding his smirk,_ you have no idea. _Taking his legs as Lennox grabbed his shoulders, they carried him over to a nearby rectangular box and placed him inside, closing it on him and sealing him in the temporary "coffin." An hour later, a makeshift ceremony had been assembled in one of the hangars, the coffin mounted in front of a podium, both the Autobots and humans in attendance, Bumblebee looking very convincingly depressed at his friend's passing. One by one, the humans and Bots went up and spoke about Sam's conviction and courage, anyone who knew him citing how much they would miss him.

When Bumblebee's turn came to speak, he sullenly approached the podium and turned on his radio. "You were," he started in Martin Freeman's voice from Sherlock, "the best and wisest man I have ever met." He wiped leaking lubricant from his face, his radio staticking and a few choking coughs racking his frame as "emotion" took him. Ironhide strode over, laying a hand on his shoulder comfortingly as Bee nodded to him confidently. Suddenly, to the amazement of every Bot in the room and every human who knew Bee, except Caden, Liz, and Sideswipe; the young Bot's eyes started smiling, and his radio turned to another channel, a baptist preacher's excited voice rolling through his speakers. "And on the third day, he rose from the grave, Halleluyah!"

Raising his hands much like the preacher would have, Bee's optics locked onto the closed coffin, causing all present to stare as the top of it flew off and Sam's hands gripped the sides, his funeral suit chafing uncomfortably as he rose to a sitting position and leapt out of the box. The entire room was completely silent. Not even the whirring of active sparks or intake of breath could be heard. Then all at once, Sam, Cade, Liz, Sideswipe, and Bumblebee busted into laughter, especially as Ratchet's optics started to twitch, an action that was mirrored in every Bot in the room except the ones currently bent over. As the medic exchanged a look with Optimus, a small trail of smoke rose from his head, and a loud pop came from his direction before he faceplanted on the hangar floor, followed by Ironhide and Que as three of the Bots with the oldest processors glitched at once.

Optimus simply stared in disbelief as Sam rolled over, giving new meaning to the acronym ROFL. Mearing's expression was a priceless mix of shock, relief, and murderous rage at the lot of them, not the least of the latter directed at the conspiratorial spy. Somehow, only Sideswipe landed in the brig after Caden and Sam explained the prank to them all. Caden had put together an ultra-elastic invisible cable that acted somewhat like a bungee cord. The cable was tied to Sam's leg and held by a perched Sideswipe during his "suicide," the elasticity of it all slowing his fall and allowing the boy to pull the cable loose once he was a foot from the ground. The "smack" of the impact was actually made by a falling wooden crate that mimicked the sound almost exactly, and the "blood" was a mixture of film-ready blood by Caden that was contained in a sealed plastic bag under his shirt that broke on his chest's impact with the ground.

Why on Earth the directors decided to level their wrath strictly on Sideswipe, none of them could tell. Caden supposed that it was just the accepted thing to do. He couldn't help but see the nasty looks Mearing threw his way every few seconds, and was suddenly glad that he had a reputation that scared most people away from plotting reprisals.

…

2 days later

In perhaps their most clotheaded, hairbrained idea yet, Caden, Liz, and Sam had snuck into Mearing's office with about a dozen paper-filled boxes after Sideswipe prank-called her phone with Lennox's voice, luring her away for about ten minutes. They had to work fast. An hour earlier, Drake had overheard the liaison complaining about the mountain of paperwork sitting on her desk and decided that it might cheer her up to just be rid of it all. Five minutes later, they were done, and Cade was putting the finishing touches on their latest prank, the others hauling off the boxes as he worked. An evil smile came to his lips as he attached a trip wire to his device and rolled more out as he got to the outward-opening door, wrapping the other end around the handle and closing it silently.

The hidden cameras they had placed inside the office would give them a perfect, front-row seat to the action as Mearing approached the door of her office in a huff, clearly annoyed by a false alarm and perplexed about its origin. She didn't notice the kids holding back giggles in the hangar downstairs, or the sluggish way the handle turned because of the tightly coiled wire on the other end. The moment the door opened fully, though, she realized what was happening, and a pin was pulled at her desk. The Director of National Intelligence stared in helpless shock as a series of firecrackers went off-while sitting on top of her twelve stacks of paperwork. Every one of them burst into flame, and she shrieked as the fires burned through two stacks completely, the firecrackers having been loaded with hotter-burning materials, before she doused the papers with a nearby fire extinguisher.

She scowled at the desk's now-charred contents and racked her brain for information on who may have done this, almost immediately coming to a conclusion and storming from the room. Her targets were found together almost five full minutes later, as they were hiding. Rounding a corner, Mearing actually let out a low growl as she spotted Caden and Sideswipe, both of whom looked down at her, confused expressions on their faces.

"Don't look so innocent," she snarled out. "I _know_ it was you." The Bot and human shared a look. "No one else would be crazy or stupid enough to incinerate government documents."

Both of their eyebrows shot up. "Government documents," Cade asked, confusion laced in his voice.

"The reports," she bit out, "in my office, on my desk. They're destroyed."

She could see a smile just begging to be let out by both of them, but Cade kept his composure. "What on Earth are you talking about?"

Her eyes narrowed, and she spotted Ironhide not far away, calling him over. "Arrest these two."

'Hide narrowed his optics in confusion as he saw the two now-infamous pranksters looking back at him innocently. "What exactly did they do?"

Mearing gave both of them a massive snarl before turning to Ironhide. "Let me show you." The three of them followed the irate woman to her office, Sideswipe and 'Hide standing on tiptoes to look through her office door as it opened, revealing…

Her desk and papers, all in perfect condition.

Mearing struggled for words, looking over several sheets to see if they were, indeed, authentic. They were. She stared at Caden and Sideswipe, both of whom were looking at her like she was crazy. Ironhide just looked annoyed, and voiced his annoyance.

"What exactly am I supposed to be arresting them for?"

The director just stood there, her mouth hanging open for a few moments before answering. "Nothing. Never mind."

Cade and Sideswipe walked away from the office as fast as they could without seeming suspicious, retreating to the room where the others were watching the whole ordeal, even Lennox and Epps in on it for this one. The moment the door closed, they all broke into uncontainable laughter that lasted a good five minutes, the humans there all tearing up as Bumblebee and Sides were bent over double.

The plan had been to scare the living hell out of their dear liaison, then cause her to question her sanity, but damn if it didn't work a little too well. The boxes they'd carried into the office were full of paper, but from random print jobs that were never used, not the paperwork actually on her desk. Those authentic papers replaced the junk ones in the boxes while the junks were rigged with enough firecrackers to send the whole office up, had the fire gotten out of control. It was a risk, they knew, but the look on the director's face would be priceless, and they knew she'd put it out. Then, while she stormed off to find Sides and Drake, Sam, Liz, and Bee went to the office and got all the charred papers out, the Bot using a massive vacuum to collect even the smallest embers before the humans put the reports back where they should have been, then left in a hurry, leaving Mearing standing over the proof of her slowly losing her mind.

Throughout the entire week, Sam had slowly gone from depressed to elated, and he knew he owed his friends big time.

1 day later

"Witwicky," Mearing called, "my office. Now."

The others made ooing sounds at the kid as he strode off to what he assumed was his execution. It turned out later that she was informing him of an invitation to the White House.

"You're going to meet the President," Caden asked, eyes wide.

Sam grinned. "Yep. No idea what about, but...man I'm excited."

"You should be, even if it is…" Drake's face fell, and Sam stared at him in confusion. "Never mind."

Just then, Epps walked in with Lennox, a heavy duffel bag slung around the former's shoulder. "Hey," he called out to them, causing Sam, Cade, and Liz to stare questioningly at the duffel. "Good news, bad news. Which do ya wanna hear first?" His audience shared a look, then stayed silent. "Good news, then. I got a dream job with NEST. Bad news: I'm transferring to Florida to do it."

All eyes except Lennox's widened at that statement.

"Woah, woah, woah," Caden said rapidly, "you're...leaving us?"

Epps looked genuinely miffed at that fact, but nodded resolutely. "Getting kidnapped by aliens put things in perspective for me. Made me realize that I don't wanna spend my life getting chased around by Cons. I'm leavin' tonight."

Those present looked away sullenly, but Caden recovered not long after. "Well, if that's your choice...I can't think of a good reason to stop you." Stepping forward, he embraced the man firmly. "Gonna miss you, though, Epps."

"Yeah, you too. Liz-" He hugged the young woman. "You take care of him, ya hear?"

She smiled warmly. "I will."

"Sam." That was all he said before he took the boy's hand and gave him a one-armed hug.

"I would say good luck," Caden said after they broke the embrace, "but...in my experience…"

"There's no such thing," Liz finished for him, grinning at the quote.

"So I'll simply say, 'Good hunting.'"

Epps gave all of them one last nod before leaving. His flight took off an hour before Hawk arrived with Smokescreen.

…

Present

Sudley, VA

"So...you two were never caught in the office incident?"

"Nope," Cade responded with a grin. "World's greatest spy, remember?"

Hawk rolled his holoform's optics and shook his head. "So Epps left us. Shame. Can't really blame him for wanting to stay off the front lines, though."

Caden knew he was thinking of Starmind. "So."

"So."

A long silence reigned between them before Drake spoke. "Smokescreen. What's your plan?"

Hawk shrugged. "Honestly, I'm playing it by ear. 'Winging it,' you might say, and no, the irony is not lost on me." He shook his head at Drake's smile. "I'll probably evaluate his skills before deciding how best to train him. If he's anything like Bumblebee, which he probably is, I should be able to teach him with little to no problems. His flow was instinctive when he was taking on the Seekers, a little rough, but still flowing." He smiled. "I have a feeling he'll be a very productive member of the team."

"Great," Cade said in a sarcastic tone, "like we needed another 'productive' Infiltrator."

The Bot scoffed. "There's only _one _Hawk, Cade, and I'm _the _Infiltrator."

The boy smirked. "And they say opposites attract."

* * *

AN: Not my best work, I know. I'm not particularly good at coming up with pranks. Sue me. Next chapter, I'm back to doing what I do best, and Kara's back for more. Wonder how that'll go over with Liz…

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it isn't my best one. As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

None


	20. The Board

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Smokescreen

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

Crankcase

Crowbar

Hatchet

* * *

"Smokescreen. What's your plan?"

Hawk shrugged. "Honestly, I'm playing it by ear. 'Winging it,' you might say, and no, the irony is not lost on me." He shook his head at Drake's smile. "I'll probably evaluate his skills before deciding how best to train him. If he's anything like Bumblebee, which he probably is, I should be able to teach him with little to no problems. His flow was instinctive when he was taking on the Seekers, a little rough, but still flowing." He smiled. "I have a feeling he'll be a very productive member of the team."

"Great," Cade said in a sarcastic tone, "like we needed another 'productive' Infiltrator."

The Bot scoffed. "There's only _one_ Hawk, Cade, and I'm _the _Infiltrator."

The boy smirked. "And they say opposites attract."

…

1 month later

Sudley, VA

1 year, 7 months after the death of the Fallen

"What's on your mind?"

Drake turned to his beautiful brunette girlfriend and smiled warmly, taking her hand gently. "Nothing."

For the first time since they'd met, Liz knew he had just lied to her, and her face showed it. "Cade," she said sharply, and his face fell.

"It's nothing," he responded almost bitingly, turning his gaze away as he rolled over in bed, his back to her.

Hurt, she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, sorry that she had pushed so hard. "Cade," she said, much more softly. Despite her best efforts, he refused to face her, and she just lay there, her eyes drifting across his back and, like Kara before her, admiring his many scars. Pressing her left hand's fingers against a lumpy scar just above his kidney, she spoke almost in a whisper. "Where did this one come from?"

He was silent for a while. "It was a custom bullet. Didn't even hit me directly. It was a depleted uranium round that shattered on impact with a brick wall. Piece of shrapnel dug into my back. I didn't even feel it until later, and someone else had to pull it out."

"Who?"

"Aria Bensen. An ex-partner of mine."

"Is she what's on your mind?" More silence.

"No."

He didn't offer any explanation, and she didn't ask, preferring instead to run her hands over his skin and press her lips to a slightly misshapen cluster of muscles in his left shoulder. Caden gave an involuntary shudder, and she wondered why. Little did she know that that shoulder, that exact cluster of muscles was the one temporarily wrenched out of place by Drakon and further damaged during their fight on that fateful night in New York. The damage was so extensive that, despite its full functionality later on, the muscles in that area were slightly thicker than those on his right shoulder. Any time he or anyone else consciously touched that area, Caden's thoughts would at least scratch that part of his memories, no matter how long it had been since then. Slowly but surely, he turned around and buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her gently as his lips pressed to the skin there.

Beth sighed gently at the sensation and leaned further into him, wanting no more answers and nothing more than to spend the rest of the night in his arms. His hands stroked up and down her back, under her thin tank top, the surface of his hands barely gliding across her skin and sending small, jolting sensations through her body. Her lips pressed to his, distracting him from his work for a second before he resumed, their gentle passion and the warmth coming from him lulling her to sleep as he held her closer. Her head tucked into the nape of his neck, and she nuzzled his left shoulder lovingly as his hands stopped on her lower back, keeping her pressed against him.

"Cade," she breathed out, unable to find anything else to say.

"Yes," he whispered into her ear, his gentle question sending a shiver through her.

"I...I am so happy right now." She could feel him smiling against her cheek.

"That makes two of us." He traced a finger down her back, sending a literal shiver down her spine.

She let out a slight groan. "How do you _do_ that?"

He grinned widely and laid a long, lingering kiss on her neck. She shivered again and wrapped her arms around his midsection, tensing up as his actions got more and more intense. Suddenly, he stopped, and she groaned at him, encouraging him to keep going.

"Shh," he whispered, darkened expression indicating extreme focus on something else.

The house was eerily silent to Beth's ears, but she knew better than to question Caden's instincts and enhanced senses. Suddenly, he leapt up and sprinted for the bedroom door, running out before she could even respond. Stunned, it took her a full second to start following him, and by the time she got outside, he had already descended one floor by leaping off the balcony two floors above the front door. Landing with a roll, he leapt down another floor at a dark shape that rolled away from him, moving almost as fast as he did. Liz's eyes widened as she tracked their movements with some difficulty, both of them moving far faster than should have been possible. Caden eventually got the upper hand and pinned his opponent to a wall with his forearm on their neck.

Still stunned by the sudden turn of events, Beth descended to the first floor and stared as he looked back at her before relaxing and releasing the intruder. Looking over as Caden turned on the lights, revealing a six-foot brunette woman with eyes like his standing against the wall, still leaning against it as she caught her breath. _Wait, _Liz thought, _wait just a minute. _Her eyes drifted over the woman. _Dark hair, dark eyes, tall…_ Beth's green eyes widened to their max as she realized exactly who the intruder was a moment before a very agitated-sounding Caden introduced them.

"Beth," he said, "this is Kara Bensen. Kara, Elizabeth Hunter."

Kara's eyes were just as darkly piercing as Cade's, but unlike when he looked at her, Beth actually felt uneasy with this girl looking at her so intently. It was like she was looking into her soul and somehow found it lacking. If it was possible, she felt more intimidated by this woman than a Decepticon. A few moments later, though, the hardness in the younger woman's face faded, and a small smile came to her face that completely changed how Liz felt toward her, especially when she held out her hand.

"A pleasure," Kara said in a smooth, slightly accented voice.

"Same," Beth replied uneasily, taking her hand.

Bensen smiled wider in reassurance, and Liz relaxed considerably before Kara spoke again. "She's smart."

Cade gave out an almost imperceptible sigh. "More than you know. So…private matter?"

Her expression darkened slightly. "Maybe." She gave Liz a pointed look whose implications Caden definitely didn't like. "Maybe not."

"Well, far as I'm concerned, it can wait 'til morning."

Kara looked like she wanted to argue, but said nothing and nodded. "Guest rooms," she asked, tone level, pointing to the second floor.

"Dark rooms," he responded, pointing even higher.

Her eyebrows rose.

"It's meant for meditation, but I have a few air mattresses in storage there."

"Pitch black?"

"Unless you turn on the lights, yeah, and even then they're pretty dim. Sorry, I didn't really build this place with guests in mind."

Kara raised an eyebrow at him and smirked slightly, giving Liz a brief glance that sent her turning an uncomfortable shade of red. Caden rolled his eyes and gently grasped his girlfriend's arm, half-dragging her back to the third floor, where Kara followed, nodding her thanks when he pointed her to the dark rooms. Drake collapsed face-first onto the bed, rolling over onto his side when he could no longer hold his breath and seeing Beth hesitantly lie down next to him.

"So. That's…her."

"Yeah."

"Is _she _who was on your mind?"

Caden met her eyes for a few moments, expression utterly neutral until he broke the lock and rolled onto his other side, back to her again. He was silent the rest of the night.

…

Next morning

Cade was, as usual, the first to wake. His eyes swept over Liz's sleeping form, mouth slightly open, her brown hair scattered in a half-fan around her head. Taking a lock of it between his fingers, he pressed his lips to hers gently and ever-so-briefly before getting up without waking her and throwing on a shirt. He was halfway through making breakfast when a familiar form sauntered down the steps, barely attracting a glance.

"You really have to stop breaking into my house whenever you want to see me."

Kara gave him a pout. "But that would ruin all the fun."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm serious, Kara. One of these days, I'm really gonna take you for somebody I don't like and things are gonna get ugly."

She smiled widely, her expression catlike. "Mmm, between the two of us, I don't think that's possible."

Cade felt something familiar stir inside him, but shoved it away. "Kara, don't."

Her smile faded completely as she seemed to shake herself. "Right...almost forgot." She looked him straight in the eye. "Not my place anymore." There was no frustration or malice in the statement, only mournful realization.

Caden had told her about Liz from the day they'd met, and he'd most certainly not forgotten to tell her when they'd started dating two months ago. "You don't usually forget things like that." His eyes narrowed at her. "And how on _Earth_ could you forget it if you and Trevor are—"

"We're not," she cut in, her expression only slightly regretful and more resigned than anything.

Her friend sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."

There was so much she wanted to say in response, but Cade was...taken at the moment. Even if she had the heart to tell him why her relationship with Korde hadn't worked out, she knew he wouldn't have the heart to leave Beth for her. Truthfully, she didn't want him to. He was happy, and didn't have to deal with a long-distance relationship. Not even the second piece of news she was bringing him would change that immediately. The first piece, on the other hand…

"Listen, Cade, I came here for a reason, and now seems as good a time as any to bring it up. The truth is…"

"Kara?"

She gave him a dark look. "Carmine's back."

His eyes shot wide open. "You mean he survived his injuries? Survived getting two shots in the gut?"

Kara shrugged. "Apparently."

Cade's eyes narrowed to slits. "And let me guess," he hissed out, "he's here."

She nodded gravely. "He's here and he's gunning for you."

A sudden look of horror passed over his face. "And you think he'll target Beth."

"You know how he works, Cade. He'll attack anything, anyone that means anything to you."

Drake scowled deeply, and the expression wasn't lost on the recently awakened Elizabeth, who reached the bottom of the stairs to spot the two of them in the kitchen. A pang of jealousy ran through her involuntarily at seeing them together, even at over six feet apart. They were perfect together, mirroring each other's postures and even mannerisms. She imagined the same would be true in a fight.

"Hey," the shorter girl called to them.

Caden looked in her direction, and the scowl vanished instantly, replaced by the same warm smile that had won her over months ago. Every jealous thought and suspicion that he might leave her for Kara dissipated into thin air at the way he practically glided over to her and curved an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close and kissing her hair ever so gently. As he led her back toward the kitchen, she closed her eyes in complete and utter trust and submission. This man could own her, and she'd be okay with that. The realization startled her. One look into his affectionate eyes, and she knew he'd do anything to keep her safe, the tightness of his grip on her shoulder indicating as much, but a little tighter than it needed to be. Her eyebrows furrowed in a silent question, and she aimed to verify her suspicions.

"What was that all about?"

His smile fell only slightly. "Nothing you need to worry about right now." He gave a surreptitious and pointed look to Kara, silently ordering her not to tell Liz about Carmine. She nodded slightly in response. "Breakfast before unpleasantness." _Shame Kara didn't think of that. _By the look on her face, he could tell that the thought occurred to her as well.

They sat around the rarely-used dining room table on the other side of the house, Caden's left hand never leaving Liz's back throughout the meal as they made small talk, his girlfriend rarely speaking in uncharacteristic silence. To Kara's credit, her demeanor wasn't intimidating in the least. Not even Caden, who both knew her so well and could often pick up the slightest of emotions, saw anything of the kind. He rightfully concluded that Liz felt intimidated by her presence alone. _That can't be helped, though, _he thought as he tightened his hand over her shoulder. _Not now that Carmine's here. I'll need her. _When the food was finally consumed, Cade rose from the table and took their plates, deciding to linger in the kitchen for a bit to give them some alone time. Even from across the house, he could overhear most of their conversation.

"Liz...I hope you know I'm not here to—"

"I know," the older girl responded quietly. "It's just...weird, you know?"

Kara didn't speak for a few moments. "Yeah...I know."

Caden laid his hands against the edge of the sink and leaned forward on them, suddenly finding himself between a rock and a hard place. He liked Beth...a lot. She was one of the only truly enjoyable things he'd had in his life in a long time, the only person that could take his mind off Kara for any long period of time. But that in itself disturbed him. He needed her to be able to think about anyone else during his idle time. He loved Kara. It was just that simple, and yet the actual situation was so much more complicated. Logic dictated that he break up with Beth and get together with Kara, but his heart...his heart was torn in so many directions. Kara had the Keystone, and until that situation was resolved, he had no choice but to avoid being with her. He couldn't have a relationship with someone who lived across an ocean, it just wasn't who he was.

And Liz...the poor girl had been through enough already, between her forced relocation and abusive ex-boyfriend, the very thought of whom set fire to Caden's blood. At the same time, he didn't want to stay with her out of pity. She deserved better than that. He knew that wasn't the reason, though. It just didn't make any sort of sense to break up with her. If anyone was going to sever that relationship, it was going to be her, but he already knew that the likelihood of that happening was next to nil, unless she thought that was what Caden wanted...which it was...and wasn't. _Dammit. This relationship crap is complicated. _His mind kept spinning in circles until he finally shoved all those confusing thoughts away and focused on one terrifying fact. Carmine was there, in the US, gunning for him, and he would go through Liz, Kara, anyone and everyone who knew him to do it.

That in itself immediately focused him, his mind becoming a cold, rage-driven machine. _If he so much as_ touches_ one of them… _His hands clenched into tight fists, and he silently ran upstairs, suiting up in his customary nano-shirt with charcoal gray pants and a matching jacket. All were armored in some way. His Sig went into its holster with a satisfying click, as did the first mag to his Daggertail and the first round as he loaded it into the chamber. His Cybertanium knife was strapped to his hip, right next to his pistol, and his collapsed sword found its way to a new slot on the back of his belt, where a mag-strip held it in place using an invention by Que to go with his new weapon._ If that terrorist bastard wants to go after my family, he'll have to go through me first. _Caden smiled darkly. _And my guardian._

As if on cue, Caden's cell went off, and he picked it up immediately to find Hawk yelling into the mic.

"Caden, perimeter breach!"

Drake's eyes went wide, and he stormed from the armory at maximum speed, getting to the second-floor balcony to see the back door explode inwards and a half-dozen fully-covered mercs storm through the opening. Kara and Liz were in the dining room, right next to their insertion point, and despite the fact that the former may have been able to get away, any sudden movement from her would cause them to open fire and cut down Liz. They apparently didn't know Caden was in the house, though, otherwise that engagement would have gone much differently. A dozen 5.56 shell casings hit the ground as their former contents cut into the mercs, only two left by the end of it all. By that time, they had readjusted and were laying down suppressing fire on Cade's position, oblivious to the six-foot woman coming up behind them. Kara knife-handed one in the throat as she drew his knife and threw it into the other's chest, then flipped her first target forward onto his back and unloaded a single shot from his sidearm into his head.

_They're certainly no Keystone,_ Cade thought with a sinister smirk. _Carmine's getting sloppy choosing his hired help. _He leapt the twelve feet to the first floor and landed softly, bending his knees with the impact to cushion his fall.

"Armory," Kara said, striding toward him, still barefoot and in her sleeping clothes.

Cade jerked his head toward the second floor. "It's a right after you go up the stairs." He was distantly aware of Kara's upward-moving footsteps as he walked over to a shell-shocked Liz and put his hands on her cheeks, inspecting her for damage. "You okay?"

She nodded vacantly, still staring at the dead bodies of the intruders. "So...you two do this kind of thing all the time back in the day?"

Drake didn't answer, but hauled her to her feet, a sour expression on his face as he took her upstairs. When she was finally dressed, the three of them descended to the second floor in time to see half the windows on the opposite side of the house shatter as more mercenaries rappelled in. Beth dove for cover as Caden opened fire with his Daggertail and Kara cut down two of them with a Vector ACP. The unarmed girl kept her head down as she half-crawled toward the second floor's emergency exit, located above the house's back door. The emergency exits in Caden's house were essentially windows that deployed near-instantly inflated airbags on being opened. The airbags would be dropped at an angle that matches the approximate location of a person falling from the window, allowing rapid descent with no harm to the user.

Beth made it to the window, but a merc rushed up the stairs and tackled her out.

"Beth!" Caden yelled, rage bubbling up inside him. Kara gave him a quick nod and laid down a stream of suppressing fire as he followed in the steps of the merc who tackled his girlfriend, leaping out the window and landing on the airbag before sprinting off toward them, two others covering their fleeing comrade and allowing him to shove her into a Chevrolet Suburban. Drake's Daggertail cut down the two mercs in his way and fired at the fleeing vehicle, trying to at least slow them down when they escaped around a corner. Scowling, he sprinted toward the road and leapt into the Lamborghini that screeched over to him, matching his pace so he could get inside. "Go!"

Hawk complied, shifting from one gear to the next and gaining on the enemy car, whose occupant was firing at him near-uselessly between his impeccable driving and armor.

"Slow them down!"

"I can't," Hawk replied agitatedly, "not without killing them. Or her, for that matter. My weapons aren't built for gentleness, they're built for killing Cybertronians."

Caden cursed under his breath as they screeched around another corner, racking his brain for options. His eyes widened and a malevolent expression crossed his face. "Throw me."

"What?!"

"You heard me, Hawk, throw me. Right onto their hood."

"Are you insane? If I miss—"

"I have faith in you. Now do it!"

Reluctantly, Hawk shifted to Stealth Force mode, keeping his speed but morphing his parts to allow more internal movement and waiting until they got to a long stretch of straight road. Caden unbelted himself and got into a crouching position, clipping his Daggertail to the back of his belt and coiling up for the throw. His seat lurched forward and upward, effectively catapulting him toward the enemy vehicle in a perfect arc. Spinning midair, Caden turned around to face the windshield of the car and landed on the moving vehicle in a near-impossible perfect crouch. Drawing his Sig, Drake turned on its MA system and plugged the driver twice through the chest, the round going straight down and into the floor of the car instead of through it. With narrowed eyes, Caden looked for any other occupants except Beth, but found none, despite the fact that the car was still going straight.

His eyes widened in realization an instant before the car's parts started to shift. Barely slowing down, the Suburban transformed into a dreadlocked, nasty-looking Decepticon who tossed Caden twenty feet into the air, his uncontrolled descent surely lethal. Hawk transformed and somersaulted over the Con, catching his partner and landing in a skidding crouch, his battle mask snapping into place.

"Crankcase," Hawk growled out.

The Con didn't respond, but bared his metal teeth at the Autobot and his partner, making a series of predatory clicks as his left hand gripped Beth painfully.

"Let her go," Cade hissed, raising his MA-equipped Daggertail to his head.

Crankcase just smiled and looked behind the pair, causing Hawk to follow his line of vision to see two other Chevy Suburbans driving toward them at a mad speed.

"Cade!" the Bot shouted, drawing his fusion cannon for its first field test as his partner spun to face the newcomers and opened fire. Hawk powered up the cannon and fired once, a shot that smacked into the pavement next to one and flipped it onto its back, causing it to transform as well, into a Decepticon vaguely similar and protoform-looking compared to Crankcase.

The last Suburban transformed when within 20 feet of Hawk, launching itself toward him, an action that landed him face-down on the pavement, since the Autobot CC specialist dive-rolled out of the way. Drawing a gauss pistol with his left hand, he pumped two shots into the charger of the trio, Hatchet, puncturing his armor, but doing little more than pissing him off. The last Con, Crowbar, leapt for Caden and was surprised when, instead of twisting away, the boy charged straight at him, slinging the Daggertail and sliding forward on his shins. As he slid between Crowbar's airborne legs, Caden deployed his new sword and slashed upward, carving a line across his abdomen by using the Con's own motion against him. Drake rolled to his feet and collapsed the sword, firing his Daggertail one-handed while drawing his Sig with the other, alternating automatic fire with single shots, all magnetically accelerated and doing damage.

Hawk was busy taking on two of them at once, his Cybertanium blades swirling in circles, careful not to land a blow anywhere near Liz, who was still in Crankcase's left hand. To her credit, the girl wasn't shrieking, only staring at the entire scene with a terrified expression on her face. Cade rolled toward Hawk and gave him a particular whistle, causing the Bot to subspace one of his swords and pick him up, chucking him twenty feet into the air to land in a tree branch, giving him a perfect sniping position. Reloading his Daggertail, Drake had a good shot on Crankcase and took it.

"Hawk!" he yelled to his partner before firing directly at the lead Con's wrist, causing him to drop the girl fifteen feet into Hawk's outstretched hand.

The Bot gave Crankcase a swift side-kick before sprinting toward Caden and reaching for him with his empty hand. Once both humans were retrieved, he transformed and broke off, kicking in overdrive to get a good lead on them.

"Liz," Cade said in a desperate tone, cupping her face, "are you okay? Are you injured?"

"Yes and no," she responded in the same tone. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'll explain later, I promise." Cade turned to the dash. "Back to the house. We have to get Kara."

A rumble of agreement answered him, and the Lambo's screeching maneuvers, as well as his extensive knowledge of the area, allowed him to lose the pursuing Suburbans with little difficulty.

"Who were those guys," his partner asked him. "It sounded like you knew them."

"Crankcase, Crowbar, and Hatchet. The three of them make up the Dreads, a three-mech team of Decepticons that specializes in infiltration and sabotage."

Drake's eyebrows rose in understanding. "So of course you would know them. They probably answered to you at some point."

"Exactly. If they're working with humans, it stands to reason that Carmine would be involved."

Liz gave both her boyfriend and the radio a horrified look. "Wait, Carmine...as in _the_ Carmine, as in—"

"As in the man I had to go undercover with," Caden cut in. "Yes. One in the same."

She was silent for a moment. "Shit. Wait, what does he want with me?"

Cade shot her a pained look. "He doesn't. He wants me, and he's going to use you to get to me. That's the plan, anyway." He thumped the steering wheel. "Didn't count on the guardian, I'd wager."

"What about Kara? I mean...you two were...close, once." Drake's expression fell completely, and Liz knew she'd hit the mark.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Unlike you, though, Kara knows how he works, and she'll take every precaution to make sure that isn't possible."

Beth was glad he didn't say, "Unlike you, Kara knows how to take care of herself," though the thought most certainly occurred to him. It was humiliating to her, not being able to keep herself from being used against the man she cared about.

It was barely another minute before they reached the house, and by that time, half of it was smoking with the sheer amount of firepower expended during Kara's firefight.

"Stay here," Caden ordered them both as he climbed out of the driver's seat and ran into the house, Daggertail loaded and ready. What he found didn't surprise him in the least. Merc corpses were scattered around the first and second floors. Spent shells were everywhere. The blood stains alone would take a day to clean, much less replacing the damaged flooring and upholstery. And after barely half a minute of searching, he found his ex-girlfriend.

"Hey," she called out breathlessly, leaning away from a wall on the second floor and toting an M4 Carbine. "You get her back?"

Cade nodded sharply. "We gotta go. There are three Decepticons in pursuit, and I don't think they're gonna be happy when they get here and find all their allies dead.

An eyebrow arched. "No kidding."

They sprinted out the front door together, Kara taking the back seat after Cade let her through.

"Go, go, go!"

Hawk gunned his engine, streaking out of there as fast as possible and doubling back to throw the Dreads off their tail before taking the highway to DC and NEST.

…

2 hours later

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"And you're sure it's him," Lennox asked.

"It carries his signature," Caden bit out with no small amount of malice. "Backhanded tactics with a side of conspiracy. And we've known he's been working with the Decepticons since the Kiev incident last year."

"I still fail to see what any of that has to do with Elizabeth Hunter," Director Mearing cut in. "We cleared her of any Decepticon interest when she first came onto our radar."

Drake had to struggle to resist glaring at her. It was an honest question, and if he didn't know Carmine like he did, he might be tempted to ask the same thing. "The difference between sanctioned and unsanctioned operatives, as you have so avidly and readily pointed out so many times, is that they don't answer to anyone. They don't need a reason, or orders, or an objective. Carmine was a part of the Keystone, but now that it's under new management—" he gave a pointed look at Kara, "—he's broken with the parent tree. All he has left is his personal vendettas, and it looks like one in particular rose to the top of that list. Me."

Mearing gave him a confused look. "What exactly did you do to piss him off that badly? I mean, as an international terrorist, he must have a great deal of enemies. Why were you the first person to get in his crosshairs?"

"Because I'm the man who put him away. Remember that international terrorist organization the CIA got wind of three years ago? Remember their anonymous source that no one ever believed was anonymous? Well, he was, and he was me."

The director's eyes widened. "You assembled all that intel...by yourself?"

Cade rolled his eyes. "Yes, but can we return to the topic at hand? Carmine di Carmello is easily one of the most dangerous men on the planet, and he cannot be allowed to run free."

"Maybe you should've thought of that when you let him go with that Con in Ukraine."

This time, Drake did glare at her, adding a slight snarl to properly communicate his resentment of her reminder. It was Lennox who eventually broke them up.

"That still doesn't answer the original question. Why would he go after Liz?"

Caden sighed, and anger was replaced by regret and guilt. "Because she means something to me." His eyes met each of those present before looking down. "That's all the reason he needs."

No one had anything to say to that.

…

1 hour later

"Hey."

Liz gave Caden as confident a smile as she could muster after being kidnapped, hugging him tightly. "Hey." The embrace lasted more than a few seconds, and Beth couldn't help but smile more at the tight, protective way his arms held her close. "You okay?"

He broke the hug. "I should be asking _you_ that. You've been shot at, tossed around, and thrown from one rough ride to the next." He scoffed. "And on top of everything, there's a fricking psycho who wants to use you against me with no consideration for who you are or what you want…"

"Isn't that what a psycho is?"

His dark eyes stared into her green ones. "My point is, you wouldn't even be a target if it weren't for me."

She smiled, much to his surprise. "And if it weren't for you, I might be Knockout's personal paint slave."

Caden actually cringed at that. "Okay, you've got a point." Drake couldn't help but smile a little at the way she laughed. If she could laugh at the whole situation, or perhaps despite it, then he could lighten up a bit, if only a bit. "Lennox has a temporary setup for you in the west hangar. I'll take you there."

She smiled and nodded as he put an arm around her shoulder, tucking her smaller body against his chest protectively, leading her across the base to the room in question. It was small, but still larger than her college dorm room, and not at all uninviting. "Cade, you shouldn't have," she joked.

He rolled his eyes and gave her a lopsided grin, holding her closer and pressing his lips to her forehead. "I always take care of family."

Her heart fluttered at that statement, and she knew that no matter where their relationship went, he would always be there for her. She couldn't believe she had even considered the possibility that he might leave her just because Kara showed up. Her arms encircled his head and pulled it down, pressing her lips against his and staying there for a bit, just enjoying the feeling. "I know," she whispered when the kiss finally broke. "Go. The others need you more than I do right now."

His dark eyes perused hers, and his expression was one of intense focus for a few moments. "I doubt that, but...the only way you'll ever be safe is if I end this, so...I guess you're right." His lips pressed against hers one more time before he finally broke the embrace and walked out of the room. He barely got ten feet down the hallway before he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey."

He nodded to Kara. "Hey," he responded, much quieter.

"She doing okay?"

Looking over at her, he could see genuine concern and summarily kicked himself for thinking he wouldn't. "Yeah. A little shaken up, maybe. Not even her cheery veneer can hide all of that. But she's okay. Alive and unharmed." He snorted. "Best we can ask for against Carmine, I guess."

Kara gave him a warm smile as they arrived in the central ops center, all senior personnel and Autobots gathered around a holoprojector, courtesy of their resident consultant. Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Ratchet, Hawk, and Bumblebee were all there in their holoforms, some of which Caden realized he had never seen before. Ratchet's, of course, was that of a doctor in a lab coat, with brown hair and, as was universal with Autobots, blue eyes. Ironhide was a six-two bodybuilder with a pale vertical scar running down the right side of his face, reminding Caden of the scar given to Anakin by Asajj Ventress, and various other scars everywhere else, as well as a close buzz cut reminiscent of his own when his hair got too long. Bee, as he had seen multiple times, was a five-ten blonde teenager with a wiry bodily structure not unlike Drake's and an ever-so-slight, almost perpetual smile on his face. Optimus was easily the tallest of the group, standing at six-five, with a cross between Bee's body structure and Ironhide's and a head of salt-and-pepper hair. Despite the age that would be indicated by his hair, the man didn't look a day over 30. Hawk, as usual, was standing with his arms crossed, standing at Caden's height with jet-black hair and slightly more narrow blue eyes than the others.

Optimus turned to the humans as they strode in, giving them a nod as they turned their attention to the holoprojector.

"Drake," Lennox said, speaking up, "as our resident consultant and an old enemy of Carmine, you'd know best what his next move is."

Caden was silent a long time, hand on his chin, eyes focused on the holoprojector, which was currently showing a map of the greater DC area. "I'll be honest with you. He failed to gain leverage on me, so at this point, he's either given up for now and gone into hiding, or he has another objective I have no idea about."

Kara perked up slightly. "I may have an idea about that. On a hunch, I put out some feelers with Korde, and he found some irregularities in some of Carmine's known channels." Typing into the projector, being familiar with it from her days as Caden's partner, she pulled up a series of encrypted communiques with a keystone symbol in the upper-right corner. She could almost swear she saw Mearing flinch at the very sight of it. "There are references to a 'Nevron' several times. Could be an associate, broker, anything, really."

Cade's eyes narrowed. "Carmine's too smart to put anything important in a 'known' channel, so this has to be a trap."

Kara shrugged. "Maybe, but as far as we know, it's the only lead we have."

"Maybe not," Hawk said, tapping a few other keys on the projector, then closing his eyes briefly before an image of the backroads around Caden's house came up. He was projecting a recording of their confrontation with the Dreads. "The Dreads. They're known Decepticon saboteurs. Damn good ones."

"So," Caden asked. "We already know that it proves he's working with the Cons."

"More than that. When I was with Megatron as his 'left hand,' the Dreads were under my direct command when I so chose to use them, and under Megatron's when I was unavailable."

"But Megatron's locked up in Africa," Mearing cut in. "How could he possibly—?"

"He can't. That's the point. Only one other Decepticon has the authority to command them." He tapped a single key on the projector, and an all-too-familiar Con came up in the projector's usual blue tint. A near-universal sigh-slash-gasp came from the entire group in recognition, but only Caden spoke up.

"Sideways," he snarled out, silent for a long time afterward. "How does this help us, Hawk?"

"It may not tell us where to find Carmine, but it does tell us how. He's obviously worked his way into the Cons' inner circle, which means he'll be somewhere easily fortified and easily concealed."

"Which narrows his hiding places to about...oh, I don't know, anywhere in the world with significantly uneven terrain."

"But only a few places near here." Hawk's fingers danced over the keys, going back to the map of DC and its surroundings. "From what you've told me about him, he likes to be far enough from the action to be safe, but close enough to be able to interfere. With a Con like Skywarp at his disposal, his capabilities for rapid response are limited to about 200 miles. Going east does him nothing…north has limited topographic variation...southwest is our best bet, along the chain of the Apps."

Caden stroked his chin and nodded. "Okay, okay...I'm starting to see your point. He'll want to be somewhere with limited civilian traffic, but enough civilization nearby that he can disappear. That rules out Front Royal." A virtual "x" crossed out the city in question, and the window of view narrowed even more. "The Shenandoah Valley. Meh'shebs, that's a large area."

"But again, civilian traffic."

"Right." Caden's fingers pinched an area around a series of dots indicating population. "McGaheysville. Massanutten."

"A resort," Mearing asked incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Carmine's always had a taste for the fine...and the unexpected. Even if he's on the run, he'll be living it up any way he can."

"Doesn't sound like an effective hiding strategy."

Cade arched an eyebrow at her. "Coming from the government who took a decade to find Bin Laden?"

She shrugged. "Touche."

"It'll still take some time to narrow down that area further, but at least we have somewhere to look."

"Agreed," Optimus said, stepping forward. "Since we will be in a population-thin area, we should be able to deploy most, if not all Autobot forces. However, since it is likely that this Carmine will flee if he catches wind of our search, it may be preferable to take as few as possible."

"We'll need to balance firepower with stealth," Ironhide noted.

Mearing sighed. "Much as I hate to say it, Drake, it's your call. You know this man better than any of us."

Caden leaned against the projector, staring at the image of the area hard and pressing his lips into a thin line. "All the Autobots are going." A disbelieving shudder passed through the group. "But—not all Autobots are searching. Jetfire will be in high orbit performing surveillance. Ironhide, Optimus, Ratchet, and Que will be in vehicle mode in the resort on standby, in case we run into trouble. The actual search group will be comprised of Arcee, Chromia, Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Dino, and Smokescreen."

Hawk noticed he didn't mention him, but said nothing.

"Does that sound good?" There were a few moments of silence before everyone but Hawk nodded. "Excellent. Let's move out, then."

As the holoforms vanished and everyone moved to their respective stations, Hawk's HF stuck around to speak with Caden alone. "Cade, why didn't you add me to the search group? You know I'd be good for it."

Cade looked away slightly. "I know, but…" He sighed, scratching his head and looking away more. "Look...this is gonna seem selfish, but...I want you to watch over Beth while I'm gone." His friend understood completely if the brightening of his optics and slight smile were any indication. "There's no one I trust more to get the job done."

The Bot nodded. "I understand completely." He gave his friend a light punch to the shoulder. "Go get him."

Cade nodded grimly and turned away, walking toward the silver-and-navy Lamborghini Egoista in the main hangar with all the other Autobots. "Smokescreen, you mind if I ride with you?"

The cockpit-like door opened in response. "Not at all. Climb in."

Drake did so, setting into the pilot-like seat and reaching around the chamber to get a feel for the controls. "Woah."

"Yeah, uh, I'd really prefer it if you didn't drive. I'm a little...unsettled when someone else has the wheel."

Caden raised his hands in surrender. "Fair enough." His hands went to his lap after pulling on his seatbelt, setting in for the long drive to the Shenandoah Valley. _By the time I get back, Beth will be safe from this monster,_ he thought as Smokescreen's engine flared in activity, a malevolent smirk coming to his face. _Because when I get back, he'll be dead._

…

3 hours later

McGaheysville, VA

The Autobots and NEST personnel had been on-site for over a half hour, and so far, their search had turned nothing up. Caden was getting impatient, and the hot, humid spring weather wasn't helping. He was currently hiking through the mountainous woods with Smokescreen and Arcee in tow. Though he hadn't interacted much with either of them, they had proven to be both silent hunters and pleasant conversationalists.

"So, what exactly is an Elite Guard responsible for?"

Smokescreen glanced at him before responding. "Before the war, it was more of a symbolic position, for security personnel that had distinguished themselves."

"And during?"

He scratched his head. "Well, in my case, it was guard duty for the Iacon Hall of Records. Most of the more seasoned Elite Guard were distributed throughout the Autobot army as trainers, drill sergeants, and commanders, sometimes even Infiltrators."

"Must've stung to be put on the backburner."

He shrugged. "Yeah, it did at first, but…" His voice trailed off as he smiled ear-to-ear. "I had a lot to do there. Well, more learn than do, but still."

"Learn? You mean you accessed the records?"

"Well, no, not directly. I didn't have clearance. Only librarians and Primes did in that time. I had a teacher, Alpha Trion."

Caden's brows furrowed. "I seem to remember Optimus mentioning him once or twice."

"Yeah, he was...wise. I don't really know how else to put it. Taught me all about Cybertron's history, ancient artifacts, stories of our origins...stuff that most Cybertronians thought was lost to time. From what I understand, if any of the Primes needed information, they went to him."

A wry smile came to Drake's lips. "So, he was essentially Jocasta Nu."

Smokescreen looked utterly confused. "Who now?"

Cade shook his head and grinned. "Nothing. Please, continue."

Smoke shrugged. "Well, not much else to tell. I practically became a bookworm until the Cons assaulted Iacon. Got knocked out when they broke into the archives. Don't remember anything until they were already gone. They must have thought I was dead."

"And Alpha Trion?"

He shook his head. "No one knows. I never saw him after that."

Drake sighed. "Such a shame. All that history, all that knowledge...lost forever, probably."

"Trust me, Drake, nobody knows that better than me."

They were silent for a long time, Bots and human hiking their way through thick brush. Arcee had abandoned her pink color scheme and wheel-only mobility in robot form for a light blue and pink paintjob and relocation of her wheels to the ankles of her legs. The result was a slight increase in her height and added dexterity while in bipedal mode, as well as an overall more human look. Her sister Chromia had done the same, and between the two of them, Ironhide appreciated the new look on his sparkmate. They searched for another twenty minutes before the smaller scout spoke up.

"Heat sig dead ahead," she said, crouching down and deploying an energon pistol in her right hand.

"Copy," Cade whispered, unclipping his Daggertail and running behind cover to overlook the area in question. Though the rocky cave looked abandoned, Caden was more than aware of how easily an operation like that could be hidden and motioned for Smokescreen and Arcee to press forward as he did the same, scanning all angles for movement. He sprinted to the eighteen-foot mouth of the cave, turning on a rifle-mounted flashlight and peering into the empty darkness before turning it off and withdrawing. "Optimus, Drake here."

"I hear you. Status?"

"I think I found the nest. An old cave system about—" he checked his PDA, "—five klicks north of your position. Sending you the coordinates now."

"Roger that. We're on our way. Hold tight 'til we get there."

Caden heard a loud whir from inside. "Don't think we have that kind of time. All searchers, get here as soon as possible! We're goin' in!" He motioned to Smoke and 'Cee, sprinting inside as the larger Bot crouched down and followed, Arcee barely having to alter her angle to fit. They trekked deeper into the cave, through turn after turn of dark, wet rock until they reached a large, open area. It looked like it had been carved out specifically to hold Cybertronians. If his on-the-spot calculations were correct, and they most often were, they could fit over a dozen Cons in here with little difficulty, but now it was empty, and that unnerved him. Nodding to his backup, they split up and searched the dark room, sweeping for any signs of life. After two minutes of this and the arrival of Bumblebee, they still found nothing.

Drake scratched the back of his head in agitation. "I don't get it. They were here. They were...they were right here."

"Yo boss," Bee transmitted, pointing to a cluster of overturned rocks.

Cade nodded to Smokescreen and the two Bots moved the rock aside only to stare in disbelief and shock at what they found. It was Caden who responded first.

"Run!"

The Autobots all took his advice, transforming into their vehicle modes and making for the nearest escape tunnel. Several had been built into the cave for a fast exit should the Cons ever be discovered, and right now they were going to come in handy. Arcee's legs shifted the wheels on their ankles to the bottom of her feet, allowing her to skate much like Sideswipe. The smaller Bot picked up Caden as she passed him, transforming down to her bike mode with him in the rider seat. The three vehicles screeched out of the cave's side, by a waterfall, and not a moment too soon. A series of massive shocks reverberated throughout the cave at their back before the entire thing collapsed in on itself in a ball of fire and smoke. As they stood staring at the smoking mess in front of them, a series of panicked transmissions came over the comm.

"Caden!" Lennox shouted. "Caden, respond!"

"Y-yeah, I'm here!"

"What the hell happened?"

"It was…" He breathed heavily. "It was a bomb. Frigging Carmine set a bomb that leveled the whole place. The whole cave was empty. They cleared out long before we got here."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. There's no way they could have slipped past Jetfire's aerial surveillance net if they hadn't left before we were anywhere close." Frustration and anger boiled in him. "They _knew_ we were coming!"

"How could they possibly—?"

"Because," Cade interrupted quietly, "he has someone on the inside." The silence on the other end was deafening. "He has someone on the inside," he hissed out, rage burning his insides. Whipping out his phone, he dialed Hawk's comm. number and waited, half in a panic, as the phone rung. "Hawk!" he screamed out when the Bot finally picked up. "Get to Liz, _now_!"

"Liz," he asked, confused, "I was just with her."

"How long ago?"

"Maybe...a minute."

"Get back there, now! Don't trust anyone!"

…

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Hawk's Lamborghini form screeched toward the bedroom of Elizabeth Hunter at max speed, stopping when he saw a NEST soldier standing guard by her door.

"Cole," he said to the human, "is she okay?"

He smiled at the Autobot. "Yes sir. Sleeping like a baby."

Internally, Hawk's optics narrowed in suspicion. The soldiers of NEST had always been completely and utterly trustworthy, but if it was a choice between believing this man and believing his partner, he would always choose his partner, and Caden had clearly said to trust no one.

"I think I'll just see for myself," he said as he deployed his holoform, noting the sudden tension in the man's body.

"No, sir, that's not necessary."

And now he _knew_ something was wrong. "Cole, step aside _now_." A whimper, one so small and quiet that if he were not Cybertronian, he wouldn't have heard, came from inside the room, and Hawk's protective instincts immediately set off as his holoform charged at Cole, who drew his sidearm a moment before the pseudo-body slammed into him, throwing him through the door and shattering it. What he saw set his energon on fire. Three men were dragging Liz out through a hole in her room's wall as a fourth leveled a rifle at him and fired. His true form grimaced as he felt momentary pain from his holoform's destruction before gunning the engine and screeching toward the exit. He was outside when he heard the whir and chop of helicopter blades, and felt panic hit his spark.

By the time he reached the chopper, they had already loaded her on and begun to lift off. Hawk briefly considered shooting it down before realizing that any attempt to ground the helicopter had a high probability of killing everyone inside. He could do nothing but watch as they rose into the air and escaped over the Potomac, where he couldn't follow if he tried. With a heavy, aching spark, he phoned Caden.

"Cade," he started in a choked voice, "I…"

"No," the voice on the other end whispered out.

"They got her, Cade. I...I couldn't save her."

…

Shenandoah Valley, VA

The roar of rage and grief that split the night was ear-piercing and gut-wrenching to anyone who heard it. No one could speak or even move. They all just stared at the prone, curled-up man who was lying with his face against the ground, silent sobs wracking his body. _I failed her, _he thought._ I promised to keep her safe, and I failed her. _Every muscle in his body tensed and relaxed in an uneven, sporadic manner, the entire situation utterly surreal. He roared again, knees to the ground as he reared up and let his rage loose into the night. His teeth and fists clenched. _I'm going kill him for this. I am going to_ kill_ him! _Suddenly, he felt a soft, familiar hand on his shoulder, and his rage evaporated instantly as all the memories and emotions associated with its source rushed through him. His arms wrapped around Kara's midsection as she held him close, stroking his hair gently as she whispered something so quietly, no one there thought he could hear her.

"She's alive," Kara said, crouching down to his level, her right index wiping away a tear from his cheek. "He'll keep her alive."

He nodded rapidly, his entire body shaking. "I know." His head went limp on her shoulder. "I know…" Caden's hands twisted into fists in her shirt as his voice trailed off. And then every phone and comlink in the group went off. With slightly shaking hands, Caden picked his up and instantly scowled at the voice on the other end.

"Hello, Drake."

"Carmine, you son of a bitch, if you so much as—"

"I know you're probably very angry with me right now. I expected as much. I would be."

Caden realized from the even tone and unbroken cadence of his words that it was a recording, and that everyone present was hearing it.

"This is between the two of us, but that doesn't mean others won't be used in the process. See, contrary to what you may believe, this really _is_ just a game, and everyone is a piece. Everyone except us, that is. See, we understand the truth about the universe, about the nature of the masses. Every 'good' man is countered with a dozen bad, and the tendency of our species, of all species, is toward chaos. We privileged few are the only ones who truly understand what it takes to make a difference. So, let's play a game, you and me, let's embrace the truth that we have both known for so long. The board is set now. Autobots and Decepticons, NEST and Talon, black and white. As the white king, I have made the first move."

Caden scowled deeply, narrowing his dark, rage-filled eyes.

"It's your turn now."

* * *

AN: My first ever cliffhanger. Yet another milestone reached. Sorry for the late update, but this chapter was a very hard one to write, and I've been on the road a lot. School has also occupied a lot of my time. Orientations suck. Apart from that, heads up, because this is a three-part story arc, this being the first part. I wanted to explore the truly genius, evil side of Carmine's character, as well as his collaboration with the Decepticons. I also wanted to, since I really haven't gone to great lengths to show how Caden's the world's greatest spy, do that with a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. Expect lighter action and heavier mystery and race-against-the-clock experiences in the next few chapters.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: DOTM - Battle: attack on Caden's residence, Dreads chase

Transformers: ROTF - The Fallen: aftermath of explosion, Liz's kidnapping, Carmine's message


	21. The Game

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Smokescreen

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

Crankcase

Crowbar

* * *

"This is between the two of us, but that doesn't mean others won't be used in the process. See, contrary to what you may believe, this really _is_ just a game, and everyone is a piece. Everyone except us, that is. See, we understand the truth about the universe, about the nature of the masses. Every 'good' man is countered with a dozen bad, and the tendency of our species, of all species, is toward chaos. We privileged few are the only ones who truly understand what it takes to make a difference. So, let's play a game, you and me, let's embrace the truth that we have both known for so long. The board is set now. Autobots and Decepticons, NEST and Talon, black and white. As the white king, I have made the first move."

Caden scowled deeply, narrowing his dark, rage-filled eyes.

"It's your turn now."

…

4 hours later

1:00 AM

NEST Headquarters, Washington, DC

1 year, 7 months after the death of the Fallen

"Cade, I'm so sorry."

Drake almost absently nodded to his guardian's holoform as he strode through the base's front door, the pseudo-body walking next to him, easily matching his flurried pace.

"When they packed her onto that helicopter—"

"There was nothing you could have done," Caden said flatly, stopping and turning to Hawk. "If you had fired on the chopper, you would have killed everyone aboard. You had no choice but to let them go." He laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself."

Hawk's blue optics narrowed and perused his friend's face. "I could say the same to you."

Caden turned away and started walking again. "I should have seen this coming. I _knew_ how he worked, I should've—"

"You did, though. You did, and you left me here to make sure. And I failed."

Cade's dark eyes met Hawk's blue ones. "Autobots don't kill humans. Any humans. The only way you could've saved her was by doing just that. I didn't ask you to compromise your ideals, and given the same situation I still wouldn't. At least now, there's still a chance…" His voice trailed off, and he shook his head as he entered the ops center, striding up to Director Mearing and setting his features.

"Drake," she said grimly.

"Director. I assume you heard Carmine's little 'message'?" She nodded. "Well, I have to request something of you, and you're not gonna like it."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion before giving him a stiff nod.

"I need full operational command of NEST until this situation is resolved."

At this, her eyes widened to their max in surprise, which quickly turned to outrage. "Are you insane?! What makes you think I would _ever_ do that?"

"Because you need me," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Listen, I feel for Ms. Hunter, I really do, but government resources of this caliber cannot be dedicated to the sole purpose of—"

He laughed humorlessly, interrupting her. "Are you kidding me? Have you learned _nothing_ about this man? He thinks this is a _game_, Mearing. More specifically, a game of chess, and in chess, there are a lot more pieces than kings and queens." He took her narrow-eyed expression as confusion. "What, do you think he'll just stick to targets with my name on them? Ones that only have value to me? He may be insane, but he's not an idiot. He _wants_ a full-scale fight, he _wants _to have his forces pitted against ours, and in order to do that, he knows he'll have to go after something or somethings that all of us value."

Her eyes widened. "You mean—"

"Residential areas, malls, government buildings. Between the Decepticons and his new group, Talon, he has enough firepower and manpower to make any target fair game."

"He wouldn't dare. This is the nation's capital, not some backwater country. The sheer amount of security—"

"Is _nothing_ to him. He's not afraid to sacrifice a few pieces to win the game, and if you don't give me operational command, he _will_ win. Carmine is ex-Keystone, you understand? The organization that stayed hidden, in the shadows, operating in plain sight, for _decades_, right under your noses. He is brilliant, ruthless, and unlike most anyone on this planet, he knows how I work."

Mearing considered this for a few moments. "I still don't understand why you need operational command."

"Because we can't afford to be delayed by my having to 'run' ideas by anyone higher up on the chain of command. I need to have support and resources where I send them, when I say, or a lot of innocent people are _going_ to die." His eyes pleaded with her. "Please...I'm the only one who can stop him, and he knows it."

She was silent for a long minute, every one of the Bots and humans in the room staring at her. "All right." Relief rushed through Caden until she added a cavyat. "But the moment I feel like you're using our resources to pursue a personal vendetta to the detriment of the public, I'm pulling you."

Caden clenched his teeth, keeping his expression neutral. "Fair enough." Taking a deep breath, he looked around at his new "resources," considering his next move. _Never been in command of a full unit before. _Breathing out heavily, he bent over the holoprojector for a few moments before straightening up. "All right. Kara, I need you to send out more feelers with your Keystone contacts. Find out exactly who or what this 'Nevron' that was mentioned is. Even if it _is_ a ruse, we need to know what it means. Lennox, I want you and your analysts to monitor every energon detector within a hundred miles of here. If there are any spikes, I want to know about it. Hawk, rack your processor for any tracking data, anything we might be able to use to find Carmine or his allies. Your hunch on the Dreads was good. See if you've got anything else." He waited another second or two before speaking again. "Our priority needs to be predicting his next move and acting accordingly, so let's get to work."

And just like that, the entirety of NEST was abuzz with activity. Caden strode past the sudden crowd and arrived in one of the more secluded hangars, finding his laptop and activating it to do some research of his own. _Talon...let's start there. _An hour later, Caden had found about a dozen mentions of the group in black market channels typically monitored by the CIA. The intel was vague at best and cryptic at worst. At least, it would be to someone who wasn't used to untangling Keystone secrets. Another half hour and he had a fairly decent picture of at least the origins of this Talon organization. Carmine had spent the months following his injuries in Ukraine assembling a collection of the finest mercs, techs, and assassins in the business, organizing them into Talon. He shuddered at how similar his recruiting methods were to that of the Keystone. _All these years, all this fighting, and the bastard wants to revive the old order. _He snarled in contempt. _I'm still fighting the Keystone._

"You look...vexed."

Caden arched an eyebrow at the 32-foot speaker. "That's a really, _really_ gentle way of putting it, Optimus." He sighed and turned back to his laptop, pressing his lips together. "You know what I told you about my past with Carmine?" Optimus nodded. "Well, he took my betrayal personally, even when he found out who I was. I was glad when he was stuck in a hole and put in solitary confinement with the key thrown away. I never wanted to find out how he would take his revenge should he ever escape." He laid a finger on an image of the aftermath of a Talon operation, a smoking ruin that used to be a school. "Now I know. And it's my fault."

Optimus crouched next to him. "Remember what I told you about the actions of others?"

Caden sighed. "Yes." His fingers flew over the keyboard, typing rapidly, his eyes narrowing as an anonymous e-mail landed in one of his many inboxes. Clicking on it, he stared wide-eyed at its contents. It was a video.

"Hello, Drake."

An involuntary scowl came to Cade's face at seeing Carmine.

"I suppose you're now trying to find me. You won't. Not for a while. Not until you've exhausted all options. But…" His voice trailed off as he stepped out of the camera angle. "Just so you have a little incentive…"

Drake involuntarily shuddered at what he saw. Carmine was holding a cuffed and gagged Elizabeth by the arm. He could see slight bruising above her left eyebrow and on her right arm, but he was sure that there were other injuries.

"You have twelve hours from the time this message was sent to find us. After that...well, you get the idea."

The screen went black in front of Caden's desperate and enraged eyes. Snarling sharply, he picked up the laptop and carried it into the ops center, hooking it up to a gigantic monitor in the center of the room. "Listen up, people!" About three dozen human and robotic heads turned in his direction, everyone halting what they were doing. "Carmine just sent me this ultimatum." He played the video and watched as the crowd's expressions became even more grim. "You heard him right. We're on a clock now, and when it runs out...I don't even wanna think about what he'll do to her, so double-time it." The entire unit's activities seemed even more frenzied than before, if that was possible, as Caden marched over to Bumblebee. "Bee, I need you to do something for me."

He clicked and nodded in response.

Caden plugged a USB drive into the computer and uploaded the video to it, then gave the drive to Bee. "I need you to pick that video apart, right down to its code. I want to know how it was made, and more importantly, where it came from."

"Get right on it, boss."

"Thanks." Drake fast-walked back toward the hangar and resumed his research, having to stop when the whole screen became blurry. Rubbing his eyes, he kept them closed for a while, breathing deeply and letting it out as he opened them. When they blurred again after five minutes, he got up and swung his arms in circles, trying to loosen up and focus. _Damn it._ He couldn't push the thoughts of what he was doing to Liz away. He couldn't focus, couldn't keep his head in the game. He was afraid, more than he had been in a long time, not for himself, but for someone he cared about. That fear, in his experience, was the worst imaginable.

"Hey," a quiet voice said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Break?"

He let out a shuddering breath at Kara. "Yeah. Break." Walking toward her, he made his way to the base's mess hall and downed an entire 16-oz water bottle in one swig, drinking half of another before stopping to breathe. "He's crossed the line, Kara. He's crossed the frigging line. When I find him…" He sighed heavily. "_If _I find him, he's dead."

Kara laid a hand on his shoulder, then melted into him as he pulled her close, embracing her tightly. "You can do this, Cade. I know you can. And he does too. That's why he sent you a deadline, to throw you off-balance, to try and make you careless in your haste. You can't afford to lose focus now. Can't let him get the satisfaction of winning."

Caden was about to scream at her for putting pride above Beth's safety when he realized exactly what she was doing. Focusing on getting his girlfriend back safe and sound was crippling him beyond repair, and she knew it. She was trying to get him angry, to get him to channel that anger instead of allow himself to be paralyzed with fear and grief. And it was working.

"You're right," he snarled out. "You're absolutely right." He downed the last of his water. "He's failed before, he'll fail again." Drake smirked maliciously. "And when he does, I'll be there to dance over his corpse."

Kara shared his expression. "Then you'll be interested to know what I've turned up." She continued when his eyes brightened. "Nevron isn't a person, it's a place, and its about, oh...twenty miles from here."

Caden's brain ran a thousand miles a minute and almost instantly came to the same conclusion. _Nevron...Vernon...Mount Vernon, Virginia. _His eyes locked with hers, and she knew he understood her meaning.

"You get it?"

He nodded and strode toward the ops center. "We have a lead, people. The encrypted communique from Carmine's network was an anagram." He put the new intel into the holoprojector and brought up a map of the Virginia town. "Where in Mount Vernon, we don't know, but now that we have a net, we need to close it. Search the area for energon spikes, high power drain, high internet traffic and networking. We need to find out exactly what they're doing in the area." He turned to their resident Prime. "Optimus, I need you to tell Jetfire to take an energon scanner and do a once-over of Mount Vernon. If Carmine planted that intel for us to find, it's a fair bet it's a trap, which means he'll have someone or someones lying in wait, most likely Decepticons."

"Understood." Optimus emitted a series of clicking and whirring, and Caden knew he was communicating over a private line. "He's on his way."

Caden nodded and ran off to find Hawk. "Hawk," he called, "anything?"

The Bot arched an eyebrow at him and recycled his energon with a shake of the head. "Nothing. No energon spikes, no further data. My hunch on the Dreads was the last trick I had up my aft."

"What about Sideways?"

"Nah, he's a ghost. There's a reason he's Megatron's left hand."

"Dammit." They were both silent a long time when Kara sprinted in from the ops center.

"Hey guys. We have a hit."

The partners hurried into the OC and saw a live satellite image of an apartment complex in Mount Vernon being projected on the big screen.

"What did we find," Caden asked no one in particular.

"High networking," Lennox said, "and Bee thinks the video may have been sent from there."

"Doesn't mean it was made there, but...it's worth a shot." Turning to the rest of the unit, he spoke up. "Autobots are going to be far too high-profile for this mission in an active capacity, even if they have Decepticons as guards. I'll need Dino, Hawk, Bee, and Arcee on standby a good distance away, far enough not to be seen, but close enough to assist if needed." The Bots in question stepped forward and lined up. "I also need a team of experienced infiltrators, someone with a background in Delta or SEALs." Several soldiers stepped forward, including one with an SAS patch on his shoulder. "Good. Kara, you're with me too." The girl nodded and formed up with the rest of them. "Suit up and meet in the exit hangar in five."

…

45 minutes later

3:36 AM

11 hrs, 9 mins until deadline

Mount Vernon Apartments, Mount Vernon, VA

"All units, check in."

"Sword 3, check."

"Sword 4, check."

"Sword 5, check."

"S-6, check."

"S-7 here."

"S-8, on standby."

"Sword 2 ready."

Caden looked over at the last speaker before turning back toward the complex and speaking. "Sword 1, locked and loaded. All right, everyone, let's move in, quick and quiet. Watch for any signs of movement. All civvies should be asleep at this time of the morning, so if anything moves, expect it to be hostile. Regardless, check your fire." A murmur of agreement passed over the comm. as they moved forward in a web pattern.

The team had ended up being an eight-man unit of former SEALs, an SAS commando, and a former CIA NOC, a woman whose eyes seemed to be permanently narrowed. All of them were highly trained and had performed operations like this a thousand times. As they proceeded further into the complex, Caden's hunch about the sleeping state of the complex's population was proven right. Nothing so much as twitched in their surroundings, and somehow, that was even more unnerving than it would have been if they had been ambushed.

"Pair up and split up," Caden whispered over comm., answered with a series of "copies" and "got its."

Caden was packing his trademark Daggertail and Sig, both suppressed, along with his knife and energon sword. His partner, Kara, had his back with two Skorpion SMGs and a heavily modified Beretta M9, as well as a short, flexible cable that she used both as a grappling tool and garrote. As they split off into four groups, Caden glanced back at a darkened series of trees the Autobots were hiding behind and nodded to them before turning forward again and pressing onward. They ascended one flight of stairs after breaking into a locked building, Cade holding his PDA up with one hand as his right had his Sig trained on the hallway in front of him. The PDA-phone was scanning for any signs of network traffic, and thus far, nothing had come up anywhere near the same level as what they had picked up in NEST HQ. He turned to his partner.

"Kara," he whispered, "if you were trying to hide a major hack-based operation, where would you be?"

"The place with the best signal and most escape routes. They'll have several safety triggers in place to self-destruct data if they're discovered."

"Agreed." He keyed his comm. on. "All units, be advised. The enemy's network likely has self-destruct subroutines, so if you find the hub, do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. We'll have to take it together."

"Copy."

"Roger."

Cade and Kara pressed on, easily falling into their old routine of checking corners and watching each other's backs. After another ten minutes of searching, one of the teams piped up.

"Got 'em." It was the former SAS speaking.

"You sure," Caden asked.

"Yes sir. Transmitting signal's off the charts, just like before."

"Solid copy. All units, converge on their location." Two minutes later, Caden and Kara were on the roof of the building in question, ready to rappel into the second-floor apartment as the other six were covering the door and other exits. "On my mark." Kara nodded to him, brandishing one of her Skorpions. "Three, two, one...mark!" They leapt in tandem as the front door exploded and a flashbang went off inside, the rappelling team bursting through the window and taking out two of the startled Talon mercs before they could recover from their shock. Spotting a tech by one of the servers, Caden put him down before he could activate the self-destruct sequence.

Kara unleashed a half-dozen rounds from her right SMG as her left emptied into a couch one of the mercs was using for cover. Caden kneecapped one who had retreated down a hallway, spinning around and rolling under a coffee table to avoid a salvo from the couch-covered merc. Clipping his Daggertail to his belt, he lifted the long, rectangular table and tipped it over the other side, right onto the enemy's shoulder. He recoiled and leapt from cover, guns blazing, one 9mm round finding its way into Caden's chest armor as Kara's automatic fire shredded his torso.

"You okay," she asked as the NEST soldiers filed into the room from other entrances, one towing a zip-tied prisoner.

"Yeah," he grunted, yanking the crushed bullet from his vest. "Looks like we got a live one," he added, nodding at the captured merc.

He was a bald, thick-set man who seemed somewhere in his late forties and no less malevolent for it. Currently, he was glaring at Caden, though he kept sneaking furtive glances at Kara. Drake didn't like that one bit.

"See something you like," he bit out as he grabbed the man by the throat, knowing full well that his thoughts were far more sinister than he was indicating.

"You might say that," the merc hissed in response.

Cade dumped him on the ground back-first, turning to the computer and keying it on. He immediately came upon a heavy encryption and shifted comm. lines in response. "Hawk, I'm linking you into a live feed of this server. Can you hack it?"

Barely a pause came over the link before the Bot responded. "Leave it to me." Five minutes passed before he spoke again. "Damn."

Drake flashed nervousness. "What's 'damn'?"

"They have secondary...scratch that, quaternary firewalls...scrap."

"Hawk? You're makin' me nervous here."

"They're using Cybertronian code."

Caden's eyes shut as he sighed internally. "How long?"

"I don't know for sure. I'll have more of an idea when we bring it back to base."

"Copy." The temporary NEST director motioned to the soldiers, who immediately starting prepping the computer for transfer. Kara was eyeing the captured merc suspiciously, no more at ease with him than Caden was. "You," Caden bit out, glaring at him, "you and me are gonna have a long talk back at base."

For the first time, he showed fear.

…

10 minutes later

4:02 AM

10 hrs, 33 mins until deadline

Route 1 N

Caden was completely silent as he drove in Hawk with Kara in Dino. The Italian-accented Bot seemed to have taken a liking to her, whether due to her proclivities for espionage or otherwise. The prisoner was in one of the two NEST SUVs in the center of their convoy, and he hadn't said a word since the trip started. It was quiet. _Too quiet. _All-too-late, he realized why the man had shown fear in that apartment, and it wasn't because of his threat. An explosion smashed into the road next to the lead vehicle, Bumblebee, and he swerved hard to avoid it. Hawk followed suit, instantly changing to Stealth Force mode and arming his weapons in preparation for whatever was attacking. Caden loaded his Daggertail, now unsuppressed, and kept an eye out for the source, which revealed itself a moment later.

An A-10 Thunderbolt streaked overhead, turning around to take a pass at the convoy with its main rotary gun, spitting out 30mm shells at 4200 rpm as it strafed them. Bee and Hawk took shots at it from the ground, the former launching missiles that it dodged with some difficulty before transforming.

"Thundercracker," Hawk said, rolling sideways to keep the Seeker in his sights.

"Looks like he found a new vehicle mode," Cade said as he leaned out the window to send a series of shots into his lower chest.

The Con snarled and opened fire with a series of missiles that arced in several directions, one of them flipping a NEST vehicle and demolishing the back half of it. His rotary cannon was firing in several directions, alternating suppression with directed attack until he seemed to find something and dove toward Dino. The Bot transformed into his bipedal mode and threw one of his blade-whips at the charging Seeker, his other hand gingerly holding onto Kara. The blade imbedded itself in Thundercracker's left leg, causing him to arc back upward, pulling Dino and Kara with him.

"Hawk!" Caden yelled.

"I'm on it." The gray Bot shifted to full vehicle mode and screeched off after them, chasing the fleeing Seeker five miles down the road to a more forested area and temporarily losing them in the tangle of foliage. "Got 'em," he said after a half-minute, transforming into bipedal mode with Caden in his left hand as he leapt over a cluster of trees off the road and into a clearing, where Dino was dodging the Con's fire left and right, ducking behind a tree before vanishing as he cloaked. Hawk charged into Thundercracker after dropping off Caden behind a fallen trunk, slamming into him feet-first and springing backward, handspringing on impact and drawing a gauss pistol. He unloaded several high-velocity rounds into Thundercracker's center mass before shifting his pistol to his left hand and drawing the Sword of Primus, its glowing blade splitting the darkness as he swung it.

The thirty-foot Con seemed to expect the move, so instead of withdrawing, he charged straight at him and caught him by the throat, his left hand gripping Hawk's sword wrist tightly as he dumped him headfirst on the ground. Caden laid down MA fire on the Con to give his partner time to recover, but a second Decepticon arrived not two seconds later. A silver Audi transformed and tackled Hawk into a tree, hissing hatefully as he drove a buzz saw into his lower chest. The Bot barely hissed in pain before kneeing him in the side and bringing his beaked mask into Sideways' head. The Con recoiled in pain as Thundercracker fired his rotary cannon in a 360 degree arc, ten of the shots hitting a cloaked Dino and causing his cloak field to ripple. Thundercracker pounced on him instantly, but the spy rolled out of the way, still holding Kara, who was firing her Skorpions at him uselessly.

When the Seeker hovered again, Dino latched his blade-whip onto him again and dug his feet in under a pile of fallen trees, yanking down to try and throw him off-balance. Thundercracker flew higher and pulled them both into the air again, ripping the trees from their resting places and flying downward to plant a literal drop-kick on Dino's chassis. In his sudden pain, the Autobot spy released his human charge.

"No!" he yelled. "_Dolce_!"

Kara seemed to fall in slow-motion as Caden ran toward her, knowing he would never get there in time, and even if he did, he wouldn't be able to save her. All hope seemed lost. Hawk was busy with Sideways, Dino was suspended by his own whip, and Drake was, well, he was only human. Thirty feet before she hit the ground, a yellow Camaro streaked out of the trees and transformed, leaping into the air, two metal hands reaching up and catching the falling girl. Bumblebee rolled on impact with the ground, cushioning himself and keeping Kara out of harm's way. Caden breathed a sigh of relief and nearly collapsed when the young scout showed up, refocusing a moment later to see Sideways toss Hawk into a cluster of trees before drawing his Nucleon rifle and firing at Bee. The Bot dodged the shot while Caden laid down a pattern of suppressing fire on Sideways, the MA rounds hammering sensitive joints and causing him to switch tracks.

Sideways targeted Caden for barely a moment before Arcee slammed into him with a flying kick, hammering another Decepticon in pursuit of her with an autocannon. The Decepticon assassin recovered almost instantly, firing a minigun at Bumblebee, who was returning fire with his plasma cannon. Drake was tossed onto his back when a shockwave shook the ground and Skywarp landed not ten feet from him, launching a missile that knocked Bee over from the shockwave alone. The scout let Kara go gently, trying to regain his footing and telling her to run. She did, and Caden scrambled to his feet to pursue. A powerful blast rang out, and a pursuing Thundercracker found himself decked after Hawk nailed him in the back with his fusion cannon. Sideways transformed and drove after Kara, Hawk in hot pursuit after picking up Caden. Drake checked the ammo for his Daggertail and found nothing left, leaving him with only his Sig and a single magnetic explosive to work with.

A high-explosive missile hit Hawk's trunk, and he swerved in pain, flipping side-over-side for thirty feet until he and his passenger came to a stop. Shaken and disoriented, Caden could do nothing but watch as Sideways grabbed Kara and drove toward a flying Skywarp, who transformed and landed long enough to teleport all three of them out.

…

2 hours later

6:35 AM

8 hrs, 10 mins until deadline

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Emptiness. Numbness. That was all Caden Drake knew right now. He heard nothing. He felt nothing. No one and nothing else existed in his new world. In the initial shock of Kara's abduction, he had felt rage, pain, and grief, but now...now all he felt was a whole lot of nothing. He had been this way for the past two hours, and to everyone around him, there was no end in sight. The temporary director had completely given out, was now a catatonic husk. He wasn't alone. Seated not ten feet from him was Hawk. If one were to look at them both at that exact moment from afar, they would see mirror images, and if they weren't two different species, they might have thought they were the same man in a reflection. That is, until Caden snapped.

"Enough," he growled out, expression grim and growing outright murderous. "Enough!" Hawk's optics snapped to his younger partner. "I am sick and tired of letting him get ahead of us, tired of letting him get to us! We are going to find them, get them back safely, and then I am going to rip out his throat and shove it up his ass!" The boy stormed into the ops center, where Bumblebee and Dino were busy decrypting the recovered computer, and strode up to them, speaking rapidly. "Where are we on the decrypt?"

Bee and Dino shared a look before the latter spoke for the two of them. "'Bout 35-40%. Should be done around 2 PM."

Cade hissed. "Less than an hour before the deadline. If there's nothing on there that can help us, we're sunk. Keep working." He turned around to see his sullen guardian standing in the doorway. "Hawk, help them. You're one of the best hackers I know." He hesitated a moment before sprinting off to find Optimus. "Prime," he called when he finally did. "I need you to contact Sam. Tell him to get Brains somewhere secluded with a lotta bars, then have Bee patch him into the hack. We need every available Bot to crack this thing."

"On it," Optimus said with a nod.

Drake was so radically different from the silent, dejected mess he was before, his flurried actions were actually turning heads, including that of Charlotte Mearing, who had been preparing to remove him from command just a few minutes earlier. Lennox, for his part, had been assigning analysts to mine the same data streams that Kara had been tapped into a bit earlier while readying his men for their next engagement with the Decepticons and/or Talon. Ironhide and the combat Bots were restless, having virtually nothing to do. In short order, Caden had been transformed from a heap of paralyzed despair to a whirlwind of determined activity, and now, he was going to do something truly unexpected. He found his laptop right where he left it and powered it up, finding another e-mail in his inbox. He scowled heavily as he pressed the "play" buttion on another video.

"Cade, hello again." The brown-haired Carmine was sitting over a table with a chessboard, looking down at the pieces as he spoke. "Excellent move in Mount Vernon. Black king takes white bishop." He demonstrated this on the board. "And to that I say, white knight takes black queen." He did so, and as Caden observed the video, he saw a second black queen in Carmine's "capture" pile, as well as a missing black pawn. "As you no doubt are aware, I now have both Kara and your dear Elizabeth." The camera panned over to show them both strapped to chairs, gagged, then back to the speaker. "You have eight hours left, Drake. I wonder if you will mount a wall assault, or perhaps castle...no matter. The game will go on until the end, and I am very excited to see how it turns out either way."

Caden's fingers curled into fists before uncurling and pressing "reply."

"Carmine," he snarled into a mic, "I don't know what you have planned for them, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I _will_ stop you. I've done it before, and I'll do it today, so say your prayers and make your peace with God, because I'm _coming_ for you."

His finger hit the "send" button on the video recording a moment after a dark smirk came to his lips and his hand pushed the laptop closed. His legs carried him to the OC in a whirlwind, and one action flowed into the next as he used all of his skills, from the simple hacks and tracking algorithms taught to him by his parents to the advanced Cyberviruses given to him by Hawk, to track and nail down as much about Talon and Carmine as possible.

_No more hesitation,_ he thought as his hands danced over the keys at 120 words per minute. _No more holding back. Carmine didn't know what he was asking for when he asked to play chess...and I'm gonna show him._

* * *

AN: Next chapter concludes the "Chess" arc of this story. I personally felt like this entry was a bit haphazard, but considering the circumstances, I guess it was supposed to be. I was looking back at some of my recent chapters and found Sideways to be noticeably absent, so I decided to bring him in for an appearance, especially since he was the one who sent the Dreads after Liz. Hope you're looking forward to the conclusion. I have something quite special planned for next chapter, and I think you'll enjoy what happens.

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Skyfall - Quartermaster: investigation and analysis;


	22. Checkmate

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

Optimus Prime

Ratchet

Ironhide

Bumblebee

Sideswipe

Arcee

Chromia

Hawk

Smokescreen

Que/Wheeljack

Jetfire

Dino/Mirage

Roadbuster

Leadfoot

Topspin

Brains

Wheelie

Major Decepticons

Megatron

Starscream

Sideways

Shockwave

Soundwave

Onslaught

Breakdown

Knockout

Thundercracker

Skywarp

Swindle

Laserbeak

Crankcase

Crowbar

Hatchet

* * *

"Carmine," he snarled into a mic, "I don't know what you have planned for them, but I want you to know that no matter what happens, I _will _stop you. I've done it before, and I'll do it today, so say your prayers and make your peace with God, because I'm _coming_ for you."

His finger hit the "send" button on the video recording a moment after a dark smirk came to his lips and his hand pushed the laptop closed. His legs carried him to the OC in a whirlwind, and one action flowed into the next as he used all of his skills, from the simple hacks and tracking algorithms taught to him by his parents to the advanced Cyberviruses given to him by Hawk, to track and nail down as much about Talon and Carmine as possible.

_No more hesitation,_ he thought as his hands danced over the keys at 120 words per minute. _No more holding back. Carmine didn't know what he was asking for when he asked to play chess...and I'm gonna show him._

…

4 hours later

10:40 AM

4 hrs, 5 mins before deadline

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

1 year, 7 months after the death of the Fallen

Caden walked through the entrance doors of the HQ, his clothes still smoking slightly from the most recent operation. Major Lennox walked in behind him, a slightly bloody bandage wrapped around his head.

"I'm gonna get checked out," Lennox told him, nodding gingerly toward the med bay.

Caden nodded back and kept walking toward the ops center, where Hawk was still working on his decryption with Brains linked in. The last four hours had been absolute chaos. Carmine had taken Drake's message quite seriously, so he had staged a series of Decepticon-Talon joint attacks on government and military centers over the course of the morning. Thus far, between their early warning systems and NEST's quick interference, they had only succeeded in doing minor or cosmetic damage to their targets. Casualties on either side were low, since neither of them wanted to play their full hand just yet.

"Hawk," Drake called as he walked into the OC, "what's the status on that hack?"

The gray Bot turned to him, barely acknowledging his presence before returning to his work. "On schedule. As expected, we should be finished around 2."

"Dammit. Is there any chance that that drive has nothing important, and the whole quadruple security is just a ruse to occupy our time?"

"Small but present, yes. I don't think it is, though. He _did_ say you made a good move taking his 'bishop'."

Caden pressed his lips together. "Right. Well, keep on it." He strode away and pulled out his phone as soon as he got to a more secluded area, typing a text out. When it came time to select a recipient, his thumb hesitated over Aria's name. _She deserves to know her adopted sister is in trouble. _He still didn't press it. _Doesn't she? _Shaking his head, he closed down the phone without sending the text and stormed off toward his next priority. _I've got enough on my plate as it is without Aria being on my back about not telling her sooner. When this is resolved, I'll tell her everything, but for now…_

His thoughts trailed off almost aimlessly until he found something else to do, focusing on it with laser-intensity like he had for the last four hours.

…

Unknown location

"Liz."

The harsh whisper elicited a slight groan from its intended target, who rolled over in the dark, not responding.

"Elizabeth."

"What," she asked agitatedly. Liz could almost hear a sigh of relief from the other speaker.

"You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay."

"When they brought you in last time, I wasn't so sure, and I was unconscious when they threw you in just now."

"I'm fine." It was a lie, and they both knew it.

Carmine and his mercs had taken them out of their pitch-black cell intermittently for what they called "reconditioning," which in the prisoners' minds was simply a fancy way of saying torture, both mental and physical. Kara had gotten the worst of it by far, but between her immense, almost inhuman willpower and Amazon healing, she was able to recover far faster than her cellmate. Of course, Beth had been there longer, so without such advanced regeneration, all the injuries were starting to take their toll. The older girl was no doctor, but even she knew when something was at least partially fractured, especially when it was her body. Thankfully, they hadn't tried anything too damaging, Carmine wanting to keep them in one piece for his "main event," but they were both hurting nonetheless.

"Liz," Kara whispered again.

"Yeah?"

"You know he's coming for us, right?"

Though she knew Kara couldn't see it, Beth nodded. "Yeah, I know. I just don't think Carmine's gonna make it that easy."

"He won't, but that's never stopped Caden in the past. You'll be fine."

Beth furrowed her eyebrows. "'You'? Why not 'we'?"

Kara didn't answer for a long time. "I don't think Carmine's gonna let me live either way. He was one of my father's closest friends, and he blames me, quite rightly, for his death. After all, I was the one who tossed Caden the gun."

"Right...but, you can keep yourself alive long enough, right?"

"Not that...I don't appreciate the thought, but...why do you care?"

Liz bit her lip, a little hurt by that. "Because...you don't deserve to die. And because it would kill him if you did."

Kara didn't need to know who "he" was. She knew full well how Caden had taken her first "death." "Yeah, well...priorities, Liz. My first priority is to keep you safe."

Beth burned up slightly in anger. "Why, because I'm incapable of doing that for myself?"

"No," the other girl responded, almost apologetically, "because that's what he would want."

Elizabeth gave out a derisive laugh. "Wow, so you both think I'm a porcelain doll. That's…" She laughed again, quite humorlessly. "Wow."

Kara sighed heavily. "No, he doesn't. If he thought that, you two wouldn't be together."

"Are we though? Are we, when all he can think about when we're together is you?"

A stunned silence followed. "That's not true."

Liz smiled nastily. "Really? And you know this how?"

"Because you're the only person who can get his mind _off_ me." Kara squeezed her eyes shut and breathed out heavily, knowing that was the absolute wrong thing to say. "Look...you're the best thing that's happened to him in a very, very long time, and I'm not exaggerating. I'll always love him...in my own way, but...he deserves someone who can be there for him. All the time."

The other girl was silent a long time. "And you're saying there's no way in the near future that you can meet that need?" Kara's silence was all she needed to hear to get an answer. "How long have you known?"

"Known what?"

"That you were gonna be finished over there?"

She didn't answer for ten seconds. "Since before I heard Carmine came to the US."

Liz's eyes widened considerably. "And you didn't tell him?"

"Of course not. Liz...it was never my intention to get between you two, I swear."

With her pleading, emotional tone, the older girl knew she was telling the truth, and because of it, she felt terrible for ever suspecting an ulterior motive. The reason, the _only_ reason she had come to the States was to warn Caden and, Liz now realized, to protect her. Her eyes widened. _That's why she practically threw herself at the mercs who came to get one of us. She's been taking both our punishments._ Tears stung her eyes.

"Kara?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"What isn't there to be sorry for? For thinking the worst of you, for doubting your intentions...for taking him from you."

"That last part is _not_ your fault. He and I were split long before you came along, and if he hadn't found you, someone else would have filled that void. If it makes you feel any better, I was with someone else up until about a month ago."

"It doesn't, but…" Liz groaned. "I don't think anything's gonna make me feel better right now."

Kara actually chuckled at that before stopping at the pain the action brought on. "I hear that."

Liz managed a smile, though she knew the other girl couldn't see it. If they had met differently, if Kara hadn't been Caden's ex and she hadn't been his current, Beth could easily see how someone like Aria Bensen could adopt her into the family. In truth, she hoped they would get out of this situation together just so they could start over, but the way things were looking, it didn't seem like that was an option.

…

2 hours later

12:49 PM

1 hr, 56 mins before deadline

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"They're planning _what_?"

Caden actually flinched at the sharp tone to Mearing's voice. "Based on an encrypted communique intercepted by the Keystone and sent to us, Carmine's planning to hit a nuclear plant within a 200 mile radius of DC." His right hand flicked over the holoprojector and threw up a topographic map of the area in question. "The only plant in Virginia is Dominion Surry, 174 miles away, but there are plenty in other States to choose from as well, and unless Skywarp has access to a massive amount of energon we don't know about, he can't have Carmine in six places at once."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the last few attacks have been concentrated in Virginia, specifically Northern Virginia."

"Then the whole plan doesn't make sense unless he's spreading his forces out. Surry's in Southern Virginia, _way_ south."

Caden sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Right…yeah, it really doesn't make sense." He exhaled sharply after a long pause. "Guess all we can do is keep an ear to the ground for anything else. I'm gonna check up on the hack." Striding over to a far corner of the ops center, he found Hawk still working feverishly at decoding the drive. "Hawk—"

"One second," the Bot responded, his tone halfway between agitated and excited. "Try it now, Brains." Suddenly, the monitor showing a firewall with Cybertronian symbols on it flashed red for a moment before the entire wall collapsed. "I—I'm in." He laughed. "I'm in!"

Everyone in the OC sprinted over to them, Caden getting a front-row seat as he put the monitor's picture on the big screen and started searching the computer's files for intel. His eyes widened at the sheer tonnage of contents the drive contained. "All right, people! I want every analyst not busy finding that plant to pick a section of this drive and start picking it apart. I want to know what's on here, and I want to know it _now_!" The room buzzed with activity as Caden gave the analysis wing of the base full access to the computer, taking a section of his own to comb through. "Get some energon, Hawk." The Bot stared at him as Caden raised an eyebrow at how haggard he looked. "And some recharge, too."

"I should tell you the same."

Drake rolled his eyes. "Just stop arguing with me and do it. Please?"

Hawk sighed and started walking, leaving Cade to his work.

…

50 minutes later

1:45 PM

1 hr before deadline

Caden was near-panicking at this point. Fifty minutes had passed, and he'd barely scratched the surface of his area. A pair of fists slammed on his keyboard in rage before a random keystroke opened a folder in a hidden directory. His eyes widened at its contents, another folder marked "Checkmate." Hesitantly, he opened it and stared as two packages of intel presented themselves. Leaping to his feet, Drake carried his laptop into the OC and connected it to the holoprojector, his actions drawing more than a few stares before he called everyone into the room.

"Listen up. Carmine planted these two files on the drive we retrieved from Mount Vernon." He hesitated, breath catching as he opened them side-by-side. "Shit…" His voice trailed off as everyone else stared at the exact same images and data that he did, a file on a top secret subterranean nuclear plant beneath Washington and another on the same industrial park where he'd fought Megatron four months earlier. "Okay...looks like we're going to Fairfax."

"And that's where I stop you."

Caden's head snapped to the speaker, Director Mearing, as she strode down the stairs from her office, fast-walking into the OC. "And why exactly is that?"

"My office."

Drake's eyes narrowed as he did so, giving Hawk a look as they passed each other. Twenty seconds later, he was standing face-to-face with Mearing with two soldiers posted on the outside of the door. That raised an eyebrow on Caden's part, but he said nothing about it. "So what's your issue?"

The director sighed as she stood on the other side of her desk. "You want to dedicate all our forces to rescuing two people instead of making the prevention of mass murder a priority?"

Caden shook his head in confusion. "What?"

"Fairfax as opposed to DC. You want to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of innocents to rescue two women."

He snorted derisively. "Hardly. It's a ruse. A decoy. Like I told you before, his focus is on _me_. Me and anyone else related to me. The nuclear plant is just a...magician's assistant. A distraction meant to draw you and everyone else away." Running his hands through his hair, Caden gave her an openmouthed smirk. "Oh, this bastard's a genius."

When he fell silent and stayed that way, Mearing spoke up. "We're going after the plant in DC. If you disagree with that, tough, because as of right now, you are no longer in command." She ignored the murderous glare Caden shot her. "When we're done there, we'll go after the Fairfax facility."

"By the time you finish, it'll be too late." He snarled and hissed out his next words. "You are _playing_ into his hands, Mearing. The whole _point_ of this other attack is to stall you past the deadline. If you go after the plant, they _will_ die."

She sighed and took off her glasses, eyes glued to her desk. "Then, I'm sorry." When Mearing looked up again, she saw no rage or anger, only cynical amusement.

"Wow," was all he could say.

"I won't sacrifice thousands for two, no matter who they are."

Caden laughed sardonically and shook his head, looking at the floor. "And people wonder why I avoided governments for so long." When he looked back up, he saw a genuinely apologetic expression on her face, but snarled slightly in response. _Save it, bitch._ Turning away, he strode toward the door, stopping when she spoke.

"You're going after them, aren't you?"

He turned his head to look over his shoulder at her. "You think?"

"I can't allow that."

He smirked. "You can't stop me."

Mearing walked to the other side of her desk and got within two feet of him, leaning her head forward. "That's an order." Much to her disturbance, Caden grinned nastily and let out a menacing chuckle, causing her to withdraw a step involuntarily as a wave of fear rippled through her.

He made it even worse when he leaned and spoke directly into her face. "You say that like it has meaning. Get this through your head. I don't _take_ orders, from you or _anyone_. Never have, never will. No one commands me except me. _No one_." Caden turned back toward the door and opened it to find both soldiers flanking the sides, facing him.

"Take him in," Mearing said from behind the spy, who glared at her again. "I won't have one of our most valuable resources running around like a loose cannon."

"Like I said," he responded, smirking very slightly as he turned back to the soldiers, "you can't stop me." He truly didn't want to hurt these men. One of them he knew personally. His eyes pleaded with them, knowing that they must have heard the entire conversation and knew what was at stake. To his slight surprise and Mearing's monumental shock, they stepped aside and made a path for him. Caden didn't bother to look back at the liaison, knowing exactly what he'd find on her face, but instead mouthed a silent "thank you" to the soldiers, who nodded to him in return. He just hoped they wouldn't get in too much trouble for that as he practically flew down the stairs to his SUV and prepped it for travel.

"Where are you going?"

Caden turned toward the source of the voice slowly, seeing Hawk staring at him in concern. "You're not coming with me, Hawk. Not this time." He raised his hands to stop the Bot when he tried to speak. "Your place is with the Autobots, and I won't ask you to compromise that for anything...not even me."

"Cade, I—"

Drake smiled slightly and raised a hand. "It's okay. You stay here. Do...do what you do best." As he got into his car and drove away from NEST, believing for all the world that it would be the last time, Hawk stared at the vehicle in disbelief and felt his hands curl into fists as he stormed off to find Optimus.

…

"This isn't right."

Optimus looked at Hawk firmly. "Director Mearing was very specific."

"I don't care!" Hawk roared in reply. "We don't _answer _to her! To _any_ of them!"

Though they were having their conversation in private, behind several soundproofed walls, the Autobots present still grimaced uncomfortably as his voice carried.

"Optimus, please," he pleaded. "He's my friend, _our _friend." His optics drifted to all of them. "Does that mean _nothing_?"

After a long pause, Optimus spoke. "No. You are right. We cannot neglect our duty to our human allies, or loyalty to our friends." His blue optics brightened and swept over his troops as his lips curled into a determined smile. "So we will divide our forces. Listen closely. This is what we will do…"

…

15 minutes later

2:10 PM

35 minutes before deadline

Fairfax, VA

Caden arrived at the industrial complex within fifteen minutes, armed with his Daggertail, Sig Sauer, knife, sword, and one other item he had in development, but resolved not to use unless necessary. Entering a large, rectangular, four-story warehouse, Caden proceeded with his pistol drawn, rifle clipped to his harness. The warehouse was a maze of hallways leading into a large, open loading dock as tall as the building itself. Beyond the dock, several hallways led to a factory, dormitory, and several other industrial buildings, all connected in one gigantic complex. A malevolent scowl came to his face as he marched through a side door of the warehouse, ready for any and everything Carmine was bound to throw at him. And he did. Less than fifty feet inside, a half-dozen automatic rounds ricocheted off a wall not six inches from his face. Twisting and rolling in a flash of lightning, he repositioned himself to aim at the source and fired twice, the MA system on his pistol sending the rounds through several thin metal walls into the shooter.

Turning the accelerator off, Caden sprinted into a hallway and ducked into an office, holstering his Sig as he drew the Daggertail and armed it, twisting back out and firing into two mercs around a corner as one came up behind him. He rifle-butted the man in the jaw and spun counterclockwise in a crouch, kicking out his legs with a trip-kick, then firing a single round into his head. Shifting his aim upward at another merc in his line of sight, he put him down quickly, sprinting around the corner with the first two soldiers. His Daggertail found its way to his harness as he leapt into the air, kicking a Talon operative solidly on his way down and rolling toward another. His left hand drove into the side of one's left knee, collapsing it almost instantly as he rose and kneed the man in the nose, driving the small bone back into his skull.

His knife left its sheath as he took apart a third merc piece by piece, slicing connective muscle and finishing with his femoral artery. Caden Drake was, as he had been years before against the Keystone, a one-man killing machine, no longer out of his depth, facing off with near-invincible alien robots. He was fighting the enemy he was bred and raised to fight: those of his own species who would abuse their power and use it to oppress innocents. Caden was done letting monsters run free. As another two fell to his lethal fury, Caden drew his Sig in his right hand as his left carried his knife underhandedly, alternating between ranged and melee combat on a dime. The spy stormed the hallways, taking out merc after merc until he either lost count or stopped caring. The body count continued to rise as he neared the loading dock, Daggertail raised and ready at the sudden quiet.

When he entered the dock, nothing seemed off, even to his highly trained senses, and he got fifty feet into the room before he noticed that he was completely surrounded. The dock was littered with high scaffolds and catwalks suspended by cables running from the ceiling. Tall crates were scattered everywhere, along with unoccupied forklifts and unmounted tractor-trailers. On every catwalk and scaffold, behind every crate and scrap of cover, were Talon mercenaries, all heavily armed and pointing their weapons in his direction, twenty-four of them in all.

Lowering his rifle slowly, Caden let out a slight, resigned chuckle as a humorless grin came to his face. "Well...shit." Eyes scanning around him in a 360 degree arc, he knew there was absolutely no way to win this. He was exposed, out in the open, with no cover whatsoever. not even his advanced reflexes and physiology could save him this time. Looking down at the ground, he snarled and reached over to the right side of his rifle with his left hand, pulling a round into the chamber and hefting it threateningly. "Bring it!" he roared, absolutely certain that he was going to die.

And then the forty-foot wall to his left exploded, a gigantic metal figure diving through the hole and rolling on impact. As Optimus Prime rolled to his feet, Dreadwing's cannon raised, he fired three ion rounds in the direction of the ground-based mercs. Cade's eyes widened. _Did he just-?_ Looking carefully within a split-second, he saw that the men were still alive, just knocked ten feet into the air with the sheer force of the near misses.

"Autobots," Optimus yelled, cannon firing several more times, "attack! Subdue and disarm!"

And then all hell broke loose. Ironhide and Bumblebee made another hole in the warehouse's wall, the former firing his cannons on low power, the concussion of his shots knocking crates and containers into crowds of mercs as Bee fired his plasma cannon just close enough to startle and singe, but not enough to kill. Sideswipe skated through the entrance left by Optimus, twirling mid-movement and leaping into the air, flying in an arc, his body upside-down as the gun on his back fired several times, rupturing the supports of one of the scaffolds as he threw one of his swords into the cables holding up a catwalk. Both structures toppled, unceremoniously dumping their injured contents on the ground in a heap of metal and flesh. A now-familiar whine and following blast resounded throughout the building as the opposite wall exploded, an all-too-familar gray and silver Bot storming through, his gauss pistols drawn and firing into supports and near clusters of enemy contacts, the shockwaves alone toppling them without doing permanent damage.

Caden could only stare in disbelief, his mouth agape, as his titanic allies completely and utterly subdued the enemy without killing one of them.

"Take them into custody," Optimus said, almost growling, as he pumped an artillery shell out of his cannon threateningly.

Ironhide complied with a grunt, his holoform slapping cuffs on the lot of them before vanishing and rejoining the others in a circle.

"Optimus," Caden said as he looked up at him, breathless, "I...I don't know what to say."

The Prime smiled behind his battle mask, the expression clearly shown in his optics. "You are most welcome, Caden Drake."

Taking another deep breath and looking around at the twenty-four mercs now lounging around, trussed and tied, his gaze returned to Optimus. "I thought you were against harming humans."

"Against killing them, yes, but, injuries…" His voice trailed off as a faint trace of dark amusement passed over his optics. "Injuries can be...remedied."

Caden smiled and nodded to him. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," said a familiar voice from his right. "Thought you were just gonna go rescue the girls on your own, did you?" Hawk crouched down, a gentle smile on his face. "Not on my watch."

"Yeah yeah," Caden quipped, feigning irritation, "save the lecture for later. Right now, we've got two hostages to save and one psychopath to kick in the ass."

Hawk grinned. "Agreed."

The six of them marched off together, toward a large, thirty-foot door on the far end of the loading dock. Caden checked his watch and felt his heart skip a bit at the time. _2:40 PM. I have five minutes._ His concern over the lack of time was unwarranted, however, as the other side of the door revealed exactly what he was looking for, twenty-five feet away on the other side of a large, twenty-foot gap. The gap was a sharp, two-story drop to a seemingly empty storage area.

"Carmine," he hissed, leveling his Daggertail at the longtime object of his hatred.

"In the flesh," the Italian terrorist responded with a bow. "As are _they_." He motioned toward the storage area below, and Caden looked in horror as he saw both Kara and Beth strapped to two separate chairs twenty feet apart, explosive vests strapped to their chests. "In case you're wondering, those vests are loaded with semtex, enough to make a considerable crater where each of them are currently, but not quite enough to harm the other." At Drake's suddenly terrified expression, Carmine nodded toward him. "Weapons down." His intense eyes fixed on the human as his pistol, knife, and Daggertail hit the ground, his head then nodding to the Autobots standing behind Caden. "I suggest you tell your alien friends to take a hike. This is between you and me, human to human."

Caden looked away, seemingly on the verge of tears. "Optimus," he choked out.

"Say no more," Prime said with grim understanding, nodding to the others.

"Better make it far," Carmine added. "I have eyes everywhere in this place, and if you're standing on the other side of that door ready to bust in and save the day, well...I'll know it."

Reluctantly, Optimus and the rest of the Autobots did as he said, posting themselves outside the building completely.

"You've played a good game, my old enemy." Carmine smirked maliciously as he fingered something in his pocket. "Devious, coming in alone only to sic your Autobot pawns on my own. Excellent strategy." The terrorist just smiled at the glare Caden was giving him. "So...what to do now..." His eyes brightened as he feigned realization. "Ah, I know." Finally taking out the single content of his pocket, Carmine showed Caden a narrow, six-inch-tall metal cylinder with a flip-lid on the top. Flipping it upward, the older man watched in sick glee as Drake's face paled, his thumb placed gingerly on the detonation trigger. "You really have played a good game, Drake, but...it's down to the last few moves. You've gotten your queens back, but only for a moment. Your king is under threat, and you can save him, but only if you sacrifice one of them." He motioned vaguely to the girls below, who were both staring at Drake with wide eyes.

"Choose, Caden. You have until the deadline, or I kill them both. Tick tock." A sadistic smile came to Carmine's lips as he watched his opponent's face pale even further.

A long, expressionless silence passed over Caden as he seemed to consider his options before fixing Carmine with an intense stare. "Go ahead then. Do it." He remained expressionless as both Carmine and the girls below stared at him in disbelief. "Do it, because when they die, I will have nothing left holding me back. No restraint, no semblance of civility." His voice was becoming dangerously focused, coming out as a predatory hiss. "There will be no ocean, no army, no Decepticon _pet_ you can put between us that will stop me from finding you, subjecting you to every horrendous torture you've leveled against others, and then, when you've _begged _me for death, ending your miserable existence. That I promise you." He paused for barely a moment to smirk malevolently. "And I _always_ keep my promises."

There was a long, stunned silence as Kara and Liz stared at him in shock and disbelief, Carmine in near-admiration.

"That's...one hell of a bluff," Carmine said, smirking, "but I'm going to have to call it. I believe you when you say that'll happen if I kill both of them, but if I kill just one…" His index flicked a switch on the detonator, and a red light lit up on Kara's vest. The switch flicked to other side of the cylinder, and Liz's vest lit up. Carmine relished the sight of Caden's eyes as the boy felt renewed terror. "Choose, Caden, or I choose for you." His thumb started to depress the trigger, and Caden raised his hands desperately.

"Wait, wait! Okay," he added quietly, looking down and extending his left arm forward, fingers bent slightly, as if he couldn't bring himself to point at either one of them. His index finger started to extend forward, only partially though. His eyes closed, and when they opened, they stared directly into Carmine's, a malicious smirk on his face.

"Oh shit," Kara said in alarm a moment before her ex-boyfriend acted.

The sheer surprise and shock that took Carmine delayed his finger from the trigger long enough for the .22 caliber bullet that streaked from Caden's prototype to puncture the top of the detonator-and sever the most important wires within.

"That—" Carmine stuttered, eyes wide and staring at the nonfunctional det, "—that's impossible."

"No," Caden snarled, "it's _me_." His right hand went to the back of his belt, to the one weapon that Carmine didn't know about, and yanked his collapsed sword off its mount, flicking the switch on the side and throwing it straight at Carmine in a single thrusting toss. The blade sunk into a pipe behind him as the terrorist barely ducked out of the way and sprinted for a nearby door when Caden dove for his fallen Daggertail, picking it up and firing a dozen automatic rounds in his direction, none of which landed. Sprinting toward the edge of his platform, Caden gazed down at Kara and Liz, both of whom were completely intact. He let out a sigh of relief.

Kara slipped her right hand out of her bonds and did the same with her left as she shouted up to Caden. "Go! Get after him! I've got us covered!"

He nodded down to her and sprinted toward a catwalk that bridged the gap between the platforms, sprinting through the door that Carmine vanished through and slowing to a walk not long after, his weapons all back in his holsters and Daggertail raised in both hands. Clipping it to his belt, he drew his Sig and put a finger to his earpiece as a rumble was felt through the walls, activating his comlink to the Autobots.

"Optimus, Carmine is fleeing, and Decepticons are here! If you can hear me…" His voice trailed off, and a burning rage took hold of him as he scowled and hissed out his next words. "If you can hear me, _kill them_...kill 'em all!"

…

Optimus put a finger to his helm and nodded as Caden's message was delivered. "Autobots, charge!"

The five of them all moved up at once, Optimus' cannon rapid-firing as it cut through two Vehicons that decided to park too close to the Autobots' staging area. Hawk charged right next to him, firing his fusion cannon every two seconds, tagging one Con after the next with high-explosive rounds and chewing through heavy armor with relative ease. Sideswipe skated between two Vehicons, spinning and slashing his blades in a circle, beheading them both almost effortlessly as he kept moving. Bumblebee was firing his plasma cannon in auto-mode, a rapid stream of shots tagging anyone who got anywhere near him.

"Bee!" Optimus yelled, holding out his left hand.

The young scout leapt toward it and extended his own, grabbing Optimus' hand and holding on until the Prime threw him fifty feet into a Combaticon, who was landed on feet-first, Bee pressing the barrel of his plasma cannon against his head and firing twice, quite literally blowing his head off. The battle continued for several more minutes until Hawk was thrown back by a massive Decepticon and snarled when he saw who it was.

"Skywarp," he hissed out, still thoroughly pissed at his participation in Kara's kidnapping.

"Hawk!" Optimus yelled. "The factory!"

When the former assassin looked at Optimus' line of sight, he saw someone he hated even more than Skywarp and realized that he was heading for Caden's last known position. "I'm on it!" Hawk sprinted toward the factory's nearest wall, juking out of Skywarp's way as he charged him, the Seeker being tackled to the ground by Optimus. Hawk brandished his fusion cannon and blew a hole in the wall, subspacing it a moment later and transforming as he sped into the building.

…

4 minutes earlier

Caden rounded another corner in the factory's inside, passing some large inactive machinery and getting into a relatively open area flanked by machines. "I know you're here, coward," he growled, his voice echoing off the walls. "I can _smell you_." It felt strangely empowering and, he had to admit, downright terrifying speaking Megatron's words to him from four months earlier. "Come on out." A sudden rustle of air above him was all the warning he got before being tackled to the ground by Carmine, his Daggertail falling out of his hands as he rolled away. The terrorist eyed his fallen weapon, as well as the pistol at his hip, before Caden gave him a nasty smile. "Oh no. I'm not letting you off that easy." Caden charged Carmine with a bellowing roar, releasing his rage and pent-up anger as he drove a flying cross into the man's left cheek, the force of it mitigated somewhat as the terrorist pulled away.

A series of lightning-fast jabs by Caden was barely deflected as Carmine countered with a left roundhouse kick, drawing a knife from his left shoulder as he came to a stop. Drake just smirked at him and drew his own Cybertanium blade, facing off with his enemy and pacing around him in a circle, holding his knife underhandedly. Carmine made the first move, and Caden twisted away, slashing sideways and missing the man's neck by mere inches. The former Keystone assassin caught Caden's right wrist in his left hand as he brought his knife down toward his shoulder. Drake pivoted sharply, parrying Carmine's blow with his blade and kneeing him backward. Switching to an overhanded grip, they practically started trading blows, Caden's shorter blade skidding off Carmine's longer and thicker one as they attacked and parried back and forth. Drake spun clockwise, transferring his knife to his left hand and slashing upward and right, cutting a shallow gash into the man's left shoulder.

Carmine stabbed forward and yelped in pain when Cade drove the hilt of his knife into his wrist, dropping his own blade and withdrawing as fast as possible, barely avoiding another slash on Drake's part. To his credit, Carmine was actually managing to hold the enhanced spy back barehanded, keeping away from the sharp end of the blade and deflecting his arms, twisting in perfect counter to Caden's moves until his opponent tossed the knife upward and right, twirling it into his right hand and stabbing it forward underhandedly. Carmine caught both his wrists with both hands as their bodies strained against each other hard. Caden slammed his left palm into the bottom of his knife's hilt, essentially driving the blade into Carmello's shoulder like a stake.

Carmine roared in pain at the injury and slammed his right fist into Caden's temple. The spy barely recoiled before tossing him over his shoulder back-first. Pinning him to the ground with his left knee, Caden held his blade to his neck. "You crossed the line," he hissed at the prone man under him.

"I didn't kill either of them," Carmine breathed out through clenched teeth.

Cade leaned down and spoke directly into his face, the blade digging uncomfortably into the man's neck. "Just means you die quickly and painfully instead of slowly and agonizingly."

The wall behind Caden exploded before he could do anything else, and a giant metal hand tossed him into an inactive machine. Groaning, he rolled on his side, sheathing his knife and looking up at his attacker. _Sideways,_ he thought belatedly. _Those two_ would_ get along. _The Con leveled his Nucleon rifle at the boy as he tried to get to his feet, charging up for maximum damage when a gray Lambo transformed behind him and pinned him to a wall.

"Caden, I got him! Kill that son of a bitch!"

Drake reached to the back of his belt and drew his sword as Carmine picked up his knife and readied himself. Caden charged straight at him, stabbing hard and twisting in a pirouette, slashing his blade against the other man's. He had to admit, Carmine was an exceptional duelist. He had never seen this side of his combat skills, and frankly, Drake was feeling a bit nervous, not that it slowed him down any. They were exchanging blows as Hawk and Sideways did the same.

"You've picked up some new toys," Sideways snarled as he dodged yet another blow from the Sword of Primus, twisting out of his way and getting Hawk in a headlock, dumping him over his shoulder. A roundhouse kick to the helm dented Hawk's battle mask, and Sideways peppered his chassis with minigun rounds.

Hawk deployed his left sword and spun it vertically, creating a propeller shield between him and the incoming rounds as he charged backward, drawing his gauss pistol and firing at Sideways once. The round tore through an energon line in his left shoulder and staggered him long enough for Hawk to tackle the Con. Caden was still busy dueling Carmine, their blades skating off each other rapidly as they exchanged blows. Drake got the upper hand for a moment and slashed Carmine's right leg, cutting a gash in his flesh and causing him to collapse onto his left knee. Sideways headbutted Hawk and kicked him back, firing his Nucleon rifle once and landing a solid hit on his chest armor. Instead of shooting straight through him, though, it left a massive dent in the plating and blew him through a wall. The Con gave into his surprise for barely a moment before turning the weapon toward Caden and firing on the side of him opposite a downed Carmine.

The shockwave blew Drake thirty feet into a wall, breaking two ribs and causing heavy bruising, but otherwise doing no damage. Caden could barely make out the sounds of arguing behind him.

"What are you doing?! Finish him!"

"We don't have time! Skywarp and the others are already being overrun by Prime and his ilk, and unlike you, I don't have a deathwish. If I were to kill him...there are only so many ways to describe how Hawk will dissect me alive."

"Good thing I'm a human, then."

"I doubt that will stop him."

"He's an Autobot, _imbecile_. Autobots don't kill humans."

"_This_ Autobot is more likely than most to make an exception."

After a long pause in their conversation, Caden angled his body so he could get a good look at the pair when Carmine snarled and hissed.

"Fine."

Sideways picked up the former Keystone operative and transformed, driving back out the way he came in mere seconds before Hawk arrived with his fusion cannon drawn.

"Cade, Cade!" The Bot looked around for his partner and recycled his energon heavily in relief when he spotted him, as he'd assumed the worst when he heard that second Nucleon shot. "Damage?"

Drake groaned slightly as he got to his feet, dusting himself off gingerly. "Cracked rib or two, but otherwise I'm okay. Where are Liz and Kara?"

Hawk smiled and crouched down, lowering his hand and allowing Caden to step on before walking him out the hole Sideways retreated through. The battle, as they both found, had ended, and a few scattered Decepticon corpses and parts littered the industrial park. Striding over to Optimus, who was surveying the aftermath, Hawk looked up at him expectantly. Prime simply turned around. When Hawk and Caden looked in his line of sight, they saw a new arrival standing there with the girls on his shoulders.

"Smokescreen," Caden asked with wide eyes.

Smoke smiled at them both. "I know we haven't known each other that long, but...from the way Hawk talked about you, I knew to trust your judgement more than that 'liaison.'" He gave a shudder. "Yeesh, she creeps me out sometimes."

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Seconded."

"Thirded," Caden added with a smirk and a warm expression at the rescued hostages. "But she has a rough job to do, so...it's to be expected. Speaking of, how are things going with the rest of NEST?"

Optimus exchanged a look with Ironhide, and neither of them looked particularly happy when the former spoke. "You should probably hear it from them."

Caden's previous elation faded immediately, and only one thought ran through his head. _What have I done?_

…

30 minutes later

3:31 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Caden walked into the building half-expecting rows upon rows of wounded men, but what he found was a group of highly trained and, apart from a few cuts and bruises, largely unharmed soldiers. Lennox had a butterfly bandage on his forehead from his earlier injuries, but otherwise looked little the worse for wear. Of course, the good major was the first one to greet him.

"Cade," he said, grasping his hand firmly, "good to have you back." Glancing behind him at Hawk's opening doors and the two ladies stepping out, he smiled. "Good to have you _all _back." His smile faded and an expression of regret took over as he scratched the back of his head. "Look...I'm sorry we didn't...that we couldn't—"

Caden raised a hand and smiled. "Don't worry about it." He motioned to the newly arrived Autobots. "I had more than enough backup as-is." Lennox brightened up again until Caden asked his question. "So...what happened while I was out?"

He never got the chance to answer, as a surprisingly level-headed Charlotte Mearing interrupted, striding toward them animatedly. "A lot. A shitload, to be precise." Coming to a stop six feet from either man, she breathed in and out before elaborating. "As our intel predicted, Talon and the Decepticons attacked the subterranean plant, Cons running interference on the surface while the mercs went below to attempt sabotage. We had teams ready for them, and it was something of a pitched battle until-"

"Let me guess," Caden interrupted, lifting a hand, "around 2:55 or so, they suddenly decided to break off the attack." He shook his head slowly at the surprised expression on her face. "You know, Director, I hate to say it, but—"

"You told me so, I know." She chewed the inside of her cheek. "I was wrong, and trust me when I say that's not easy to admit."

Drake nodded. "I know." A glance at both her and Lennox's sour expressions told him there was more going on though. "What else happened?"

"Uh," Lennox started uneasily, "we had a slight...complication with one of our overseas divisions."

"More like a God-damned catastrophe," Mearing corrected.

"While we were busy taking care of the Stateside attacks, there was...there was a major break-in at our facility in—"

"Don't tell me," Drake cut in again, scowling slightly. "Africa."

Lennox's face paled further, and he nodded.

Caden gave out a sharp exhale and smirked humorlessly as he started pacing. "Wow...Carmine is...a lot more brilliant than I ever gave him credit for. What better way to curry favor with the Decepticons than to hatch a plan that keeps us busy while they send another team to spring their leader free?" He lunged toward a nearby ammo crate and kicked it hard in rage, sending it wheeling. He snarled heavily. "Well played, indeed."

"A plan worthy of Megatron himself," Hawk chimed in.

Caden could only silently agree and try to shove the immensely uncomfortable feelings of terror that swept through him at the knowledge that Megatron was once again free.

…

1 hour later

4:40 PM

"I'm so sorry."

Liz smiled into Caden's shoulder as he embraced her tightly, that one action making her feel once again completely safe, despite the events of the last 24-plus hours. "It's over now. It's all over." She wanted desperately to fall into bed with him, to press herself against his comforting warmth, but she knew she couldn't, not with what she was about to do. Drawing away from him, Beth looked him straight in the eyes and breathed to steady herself. "And, I'm sorry, but so are we." The look of betrayal, of sheer hurt on his face nearly decked her, but she forced herself to continue. "I'm breaking up with you, Cade. Don't—it wasn't you, or this."

"Why then," he choked out, eyes tearing.

She drew close and whispered into his ear, allowing him to look over her shoulder at Kara, whose injuries were being tended to. "Because she loves you, and you her." The look he gave her forced her to keep going. "I know. I know you weren't going to break up with me regardless. You are...far too noble to do that." She smiled at him. "And that's why I'm doing this. Because you would stay with me to your own detriment, just to see me happy." Tears spilled down her face as her smile became wider. "And I have been, Cade. The last two months have been some of the happiest in my life, but I realize now that I can never be for you what she is for you, nor can you ever be for me what you are for her.

"I'm not angry about that, Cade. I'm not, _really_. I just...you spend so much of your time and effort making others feel safe, feel happy, and, well...I think it's time you got a little satisfaction yourself." Beth pressed one last brief kiss to his lips, then pulled out of his grasp. "You'll always be my friend, Caden, and I mean that."

He looked down and away, fists clenched. "I know," he choked out.

"Promise me something, okay?" He gave her a look that said, "Anything." "Don't let _anything _get between you two, understand? Nothing. You two were meant for each other. _Are_ meant for each other. Don't screw that up. You both deserve to be happy after everything you've endured." When he was silent, Liz started walking toward the hangar and an Autobot ride.

"Beth," Caden called out, his voice surer than before. When she turned to him and smiled, he smiled back warmly, eyes still sligthly red and glistening. "Thank you."

* * *

AN: And that's it for the Chess chapters. Woot! I got the idea for the subterranean nuclear plant from a show, Nikita, I think, and I just picked it because I needed a viable target that would draw all of NEST's attention. I hope the confrontation between Caden and Carmine was brutal enough. I know at least some of my readers have practically been snapping at the chain for the latter's head on a platter, but a beatdown and a serious injury will have to do for now. One thing you gotta know about Carmine is, he's like a cockroach. No matter how many times you flush 'em down the toilet, they always find a way back up the bowl.

You read right. Megatron is back, and after four months of incarceration in a facility run by humans after being put there by a human, you can bet he'll be vengeful as hell. Little bit of breathing room between now and then though. I really hope you liked the interference on the part of Optimus and the Autobots. When I first saw Age of Extinction, I actually thought that Optimus had killed the Cemetery Wind soldiers until I heard him reference his "no-human-fatalities" oath later in the movie, and I got to thinking, what if all the Autobots did that?

I really hope you enjoyed this story arc and are looking forward to more, as well as this new dynamic with Kara no longer having Keystone responsibilities. Apologies to those of you who thought Cade and Beth should have stayed together. Like she said, Kara and Caden were meant for each other, and I really hope I'll be able to convey that fact properly in later chapters.

As always, please review and recommend.

P.S.: The prototype device that Caden used to kill Carmine's detonator will be explained in a later chapter.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: AOE - Cemetery Wind: assault on the warehouse, Autobots' rescue

Transformers: ROTF - The Shard: outside battle, duel with Carmine, Sideways' interference, two-on-two, Carmine disarmed


	23. Getting Used to It

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

* * *

"Promise me something, okay?" He gave her a look that said, "Anything." "Don't let _anything_ get between you two, understand? Nothing. You two were meant for each other. _Are_ meant for each other. Don't screw that up. You both deserve to be happy after everything you've endured." When he was silent, Liz started walking toward the hangar and an Autobot ride.

"Beth," Caden called out, his voice surer than before. When she turned to him and smiled, he smiled back warmly, eyes still sligthly red and glistening. "Thank you."

…

Next morning

10:25 AM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 7 months after the death of the Fallen

Caden Drake woke up in a panic, patting the empty side of the bed next to him with no result except to confirm that he was alone. Add to this the fact that his clock read 10:25, and his heart was going on overdrive. He never woke up that late. He was never able to sleep easily enough. _Was I drugged? _Running a hand through his hair, he tried desperately to recall the events of the previous night.

_"Don't let anything get between you two,"_ Liz's voice said in his memories.

_"Thank you," _he replied.

His eyes snapped open as it all came rushing back. _Carmine. Kara and Liz were kidnapped, and I saved them with the Autobots' help. _He breathed in and out heavily. _And Beth broke up with me. _Leaning onto his back, his head hit the pillow hard, bouncing him up and down several times as he let his body go completely limp. A sharp pain near his heart caused him to wince, but otherwise he didn't move, opting instead to turn his head toward the empty stretch of mattress on his right. _That's gonna take some getting used to._ He sighed again, heavily, feeling for the first time in a very long time like doing absolutely nothing, just staying in bed and passing back out.

A low groan came from under a pillow as it was laid on his face by his own arms. It hit the wall a second later as Cade crawled out of bed and dropped to the floor, faceplanting absently and quite literally crawling to the bathroom. When he emerged a few minutes later, his attitude was no less despondent and it was all he could do to slump his way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where he yanked the tallest bottle of the hardest liquor out of his cabinet and yanked the new cork out with his teeth. Half of it was downed within twenty seconds, causing the young man who drank it to sputter and cough, cringing at the sharp tangs and tingles of the fermented liquid. The rest of the bottle followed less than a minute later. Caden wasn't exactly sure why he was drinking this much. He usually didn't. Getting drunk was both difficult to accomplish and, to him, undesirable. He hated not being in full control of his faculties and senses.

So when a bedraggled Kara Bensen strode down the stairs ten minutes into his binge, her dark eyes widened to their max at the three bottles of hard liquor that sat empty on his kitchen counter. "Cade," she asked concernedly upon seeing his back, his head stuck in the alcohol cabinet.

His body completely froze, and he seemed to consider something before turning to face her. "Kara? What are you…?" One hand rubbed the back of his head in confusion, his widespread disorientation uncharacteristic and disturbing to him. His eyes locked with hers, mouth slightly open as he took in a deep breath. "What happened last night?"

The girl pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows, her concern for him reaching a fever pitch as she approached him and held his face in her hands, turning his head one direction or another, inspecting him for injuries. Not finding any, she pressed her lips together even harder before answering. "You came home after being awake for over 24 hours." Her eyes gazed into his, her nose wrinkling at the smell of alcohol coming from him. "You rescued me and Beth from Carmine, then let me crash at your place."

"I…I don't remember any of that." He turned away from both her and the newly opened bottle. "I don't remember much of anything after…" He sighed heavily, leaning forward on the counter with both hands. "She broke up with me."

"What," Kara asked confusedly.

"Liz. She broke up with me."

Bensen's eyes widened slightly, the last answers falling into place. "So _that's_ why she left with Smokescreen."

He locked gazes with her, his expression suddenly concerned. "She went with Smokescreen?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

He looked away, chewing his bottom lip briefly before shrugging. "Nothing. Hawk trusts him, so—"

"Drake!"

Caden groaned. "Speak of the devil."

They both turned toward the direction of the garage door to see a very irate black-haired holoform striding toward them. "Caden, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Having a drink." He punctuated this statement by taking a swig of the opened bottle.

Hawk gave him a deadpanned look, then snatched the bottle from his hand as Kara stared on in shock. "No. You're not. You're not going to mope and groan and sit in this house. It's 11 AM, and you're going to do something useful with your day, or I'm gonna kick your aft into shape."

Drake just stared at him. "I'm not moping," he said defensively. "And has it really been that long?"

Hawk's optics softened as he laid a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Cade, I've been your partner for over a year now. Trust me when I say that I have a very good sense of your emotions."

Drake shook his hand off and pulled back, walking out of the kitchen onto the stairs and ascending halfway before Kara spoke up.

"Cade, come on. Talk to us."

He shrugged, barely turning toward them. "There's nothing to talk about. We're over. I just...have to get over it."

Hawk looked like he was about to say something when the front door had two knocks. Caden sighed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he went to the door and opened it. A very normal-looking Elizabeth Hunter stood smiling warmly on the other side. All present inside the house stared at her.

"Liz," Caden asked.

"Mhm," she answered, hugging him firmly before striding past him toward the kitchen and beelining for Kara. "I never got to thank you for…everything you did for me." She held out her right hand. "So thank you."

Kara shook it slowly, almost cautiously. Obviously, none of those present had seen how Beth dealt with amicable breakups before, so this almost abruptly friendly visit was completely unexpected. "You're…welcome. I'm just glad we made it out of there in one piece."

"Well, I already thanked _him_, so." The older girl giggled lightly before reaching into her purse and pulling out her phone, typing into it absently.

They all just stared.

"Uh," Caden started, interrupting her thoughts, "Liz?"

"Mhm?"

"Why are you here exactly?"

"Oh," she exclaimed lightly, as if she'd forgotten something, looking up from her phone, "I just wanted to deliver something." She pulled a small rectangular package from her purse and laid it on the kitchen counter.

Hawk tore it open and lifted it up for Caden and Kara to see, shrugging at its contents in ignorance.

"Liz," Drake said, eyes widening, "what is that?"

She grinned. "Our next prank on Ratchet."

He raised an eyebrow. "It looks…expensive."

Her smile widened. "Yep. Be worth it though."

Caden scratched the back of his head. "How exactly did you afford a miniaturized, remote-activated car battery?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"That _is_ what this is, isn't it?"

She looked it over. "Well, no. You got the miniaturized and car battery parts down, but it's not remote—ohhh…" She grinned again, seeing the mischievous look in Caden's eyes. "You want to make it—oh that would be perfect."

"Tingly the sequel, with little chance of reprisal."

"Genius."

"I'm sorry," Kara cut in, "but what the hell are you two talking about?"

They snickered in tandem, Caden explaining. "We pranked Ratchet while Hawk was taking a road trip about, oh, a month ago. Well, actually, Sideswipe pranked him. Jolted him with a pair of power cables, effectively giving him a dose of…well, I'm not sure what the human equivalent would be." Caden locked eyes with his fellow prankster and grinned, silently kicking himself for thinking she would be anything but what she was showing right now. _She said we would always be friends, and she's never lied to me. Ever. _"Well, we're gonna do it again, except with a car battery installed inside his chassis and remotely linked to a transmitter."

"Allowing you to trigger it at any time," Kara finished for him, a smile coming to her own face as she started to get into the mood. "Genius."

"Don't suppose you could help," Liz said.

Kara gave her a slight pout and shrugged. "Well, yes, but I won't be here to see it work." She locked eyes with Caden. "I have…business to attend to."

He furrowed his eyebrows in question at her look and made a mental note to himself to ask her about it later. Turning back to Liz, he spoke. "You still didn't explain how you got the cash to get the battery…or where you got it from, for that matter."

Liz bit her lower lip to stifle her laughter. "Que."

Caden's jaw dropped. "He gave it to you?"

"Well, yes. Not like I told him what I was gonna use it for, though I don't think he would've minded if I had."

"Well…in that case, I'll get right to work making it Hatchet-worthy."

…

1 hour later

12:10 PM

"What did you mean when you said you had business to attend to?"

Kara looked at him carefully, chewing her lower lip. "I have to go back to Russia."

Caden instantly stopped configuring the transmitter and turned to her. "You what?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm still not completely done over there. Once I take care of this, it'll be another month or so before I'm back, but once I am…I'm done." She locked gazes with him. "Period."

Caden pursed his lips and looked into her eyes, searching for any signs of deception. "Okay," he said quietly, returning to his work without another word. He had to remind himself that she had never lied to him either. The modifications were done in another ten minutes, and he took the finished product down to Beth and Hawk, who were having, by the looks of it, a very intense conversation. They stopped as soon as they spotted Drake, Hawk giving her a slightly disapproving look, though Caden didn't know why. "It's finally ready," he said to Liz, handing her the device.

"And the transmitter?"

He raised his phone. "I rigged it directly. It'll respond to my signal, and mine alone."

"Perfect," she said with a grin that thinned as she saw Kara descend the stairs and stride toward the front door. "Going somewhere?"

Kara just nodded and left without another word, looking very much depressed.

When the door closed, Beth looked straight at Caden, quite accusingly.

"Don't," he bit out. "It's not my fault. She's heading back to Russia to take care of some last-minute business, then she's done." They sat quietly for another minute before Caden slapped his legs and got up. "Well, no point sitting around. We gonna do this or what?"

Liz nodded numbly, throwing a brief glance in Hawk's direction before getting up and walking out the door. Much to Caden's surprise, there was a second Lamborghini sitting in his driveway instead of Liz's Prius. Suddenly he understood at least partially why Hawk was upset with her. _He's wary of the rookie, so putting someone he cares about in his hands is…_ He turned toward his guardian and put a hand on his holoform's shoulder, whispering out of Beth's hearing.

"Smokescreen risked his life to save her and Kara from Carmine. I think we can trust him to keep her safe from car crashes."

Hawk sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know, it's just...ugh."

"If you feel that strongly about it, why don't we switch guardians for a few days? Let me get to know him a bit better."

The Bot's blue optics snapped to Caden's darker ones in alarm. "_Hell_ no. There's no way I'm putting your life in his hands, no matter how temporary an arrangement. Not yet."

Caden rolled his eyes as he strode toward Hawk's true form. "If it makes you feel any better, I rode with him to the Talon base in the Shenandoah Valley and it was all smooth sailing."

Hawk was silent.

…

1 hour later

1:32 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"You almost done?"

Caden snarled. "Yeah yeah, gimme half a nanosecond. This isn't as easy as it looks." Rooting around in Ratchet's open chassis for a good spot to mount their battery wasn't any more favorable to Caden than it was to the Bot who temporarily offlined him. Finally, he managed to stick it to the underside of his chest plating, three layers of armor away from his spark chamber. He doubted something as low-voltage as a car battery could screw up a Cybertronian spark, but better safe than sorry. "Done," he said hurriedly as he crawled out of the Chief Medical Officer's chest, prompting Smokescreen to push the plates closed, leaving no evidence of their tampering.

Off in a corner, Liz was trying hard to keep from giggling and Hawk was just shaking his head in exasperation. The older Bot was definitely not a prankster, and the fact that he was letting one happen to Ratchet of all Bots was something that his processor told him was hazardous to his health. After all, the old CMO had been pranked by Sideswipe so many times, he probably had backup security sensors hooked up to the backups of the backups. He would find out who was responsible one way or another. Beth high-fived Caden as he climbed off the downed medic and retreated from the medbay in an angle away from prying eyes, the cameras overlooking their exit having been looped before their entry. Ten minutes later, the show started.

Ratchet got up, still somewhat dazed. Doing a quick diagnostic of his systems, his processor logged only that he experienced a mild power surge, nothing dangerous. Passing it off as stress from the recent Decepticon-Talon situation, he turned back to his work, investigation of a random biological culture that Que was banned access from. As a favor to his old inventor friend, he had decided to take up his project after a small...combustion in Que's lab caused the troops to panic and suspect a biohazard. Despite the inventor's assurances that it was perfectly safe, to ease the minds of NEST personnel and Director Mearing, who had become very foul-tempered since Megatron's jailbreak the previous day, Optimus banned him from working on it further. Ratchet, on the other hand, had full access, being first and foremost a biologist.

Suddenly, two minutes into his work, he felt a slight tingle near his spark. Passing it off as the aftereffects of his temporary offlining, he returned to the culture. Another, harder jolt ran through his system, and he immediately stopped working, clutching his chest. Checking his systems again, they read everything functioning at nominal levels. Waiting another minute for a repeat incident, he returned to his project. The next shock caused his body to go instantly limp, and he scowled as his forehead smacked into the table in front of him, missing the culture's housing by mere inches. He stormed from the medbay and strode toward the one Autobot he knew could be responsible for this.

"Sideswipe!"

The silver Bot looked up at the irate medic, and his optics widened in fear at his expression. "I didn't do it, Doc," he said quickly, raising his hands in a placatory manner.

"Like scrap you didn't!" Another jolt ran through Ratchet, and he fell to one knee, pulling a wrench from his subspace on his way down and preparing to clock Sideswipe with it.

"Ratch, I swear!" Sideswipe pleaded earnestly, quickly withdrawing and not helping his case at all by doing so.

"Swear harder you slagger!"

And the chase was on, the medic sprinting after the object of many of his wrench-throwing rampages as he fled, all present laughing at them and shaking heads at the repeated antics, especially when Ratchet started seizing and collapsing whenever he got close enough to Sideswipe to land a hit. After about five minutes of this and a self-scan, the CMO finally caught on and, not scanning any kind of transmitter on Sideswipe, decided to trace the signal to its source.

"Uh-oh," a small voice said from a nearby room.

"Drake!"

"Uh," Caden said, looking at the three in their dark room, his computer jacked into the security cameras.

"Run," Beth asked.

A denting bang on the wall separating them from the pranked medic answered for him, but he responded anyway. "Run!"

They sprinted for an "emergency exit" on the opposite side of the room, Caden picked up by Hawk, Liz by Smokescreen. They exited as Ratchet demolished the wall in his way, both hands now toting the largest wrenches he could subspace and waving them threateningly. Both chased Bots looked as rightfully terrified as their human counterparts and ran like Unicron himself were on their heels, exiting the base and transforming.

"Split up!" Hawk shouted to Smokescreen, gunning his engine at its max in an attempt to escape.

The rookie followed his advice a little too well, taking Liz far outside DC by the time he realized it was probably safe to stop driving. "Well," he said as he came to a stop, "since we're out here anyway…"

"Might as well have some fun," she finished for him, grinning at the talking radio. "What'd you have in mind, Smoke?"

"Well...let's just keep driving and see what comes up."

"Sounds good to me," she said, leaning back into her seat and relaxing.

...

6 hours later

7:57 PM

Somewhere outside Dulles Airport

The pair had driven all across Northern Virginia in their search for "fun," but Elizabeth had to agree, Smokescreen hit the jackpot this time. Standing outside her almost alien-looking Lamborghini Egoista, she looked to all the world like a rich girl looking to try her hand at the risky and very illegal art of street racing. A few of the other drivers, all male, noticed and scoffed in her direction, patting their rides as if their pride alone would save them from the humiliation she knew they would be forced to endure.

"Don't you have a car show or somethin' to go to, little girl? This ain't no place for newbies. We hardcore."

She smiled at him cheekily. "You know what they say about beginner's luck."

A short, stocky man in a half-torn tweed suit stepped onto the "track," a long stretch of mostly straight road that ran around Dulles Airport and was mostly deserted, a microphone in his hands. "Drivers, start your engines!"

Liz wasn't sure where the speaker was, but she didn't care as she climbed into Smokescreen, patting the steering wheel and smiling dangerously at her competition.

"I want a clean race. No ramming, shunting, or grinding, understand?" A general rumble of assent came from the drivers over the steady roar of their engines. "Good, now we can get back to the usual running each other off the road!" A wave of coarse laughter came from all present except Liz, who was looking concernedly at a driver who was making finger guns at her.

The car underneath her gave out an angry rumble at the sight. "Don't worry, Liz. He or anyone else so much as _tries _anything, I'll squish 'em."

Liz giggled. "Not that I don't appreciate the thought, Smoke, but you know you can't do that."

"You know what I mean."

"Mhm."

"Five," the announcer started in a loud, excited voice, "four, three, two, one, go!"

Six sets of wheels screeched at once as the racers took off at a feverish pace, Smokescreen in fourth place. Liz looked at the wheel she was holding questioningly.

"Trust me, Liz, it's better this way. Make it seem like we're losing, then kick in the overdrive and show 'em all how it's done."

The girl grinned and hit the gas, turning sharply around a driver that came too close to their front bumper. She could feel the car shimmy uneasily underneath her. "I know you're not comfortable with being driven, but I gotta keep up appearances. If I start doing anything too crazy, take over, 'kay?"

"Okay," he assented, trusting her enough not to get him killed but still uneasy about letting anyone else take his wheel.

They rounded a small bend in the road moments before the other drivers started trying to run each other off it. One kicked in a NOS burner, scorching the paint of another driver and rocketing himself forward an extra dozen mph. Another very clearly broke the "rules" and shunted a car with a slightly weaker suspension, knocking it into a ditch at 85 mph, breaking the front axle and crippling it. Smokescreen's engine pushed itself to the limit, bypassing car after crash until it was down to the last three, Smoke and Liz included. The second-place driver tried to knock his rear bumper into the pair's front, but a well-timed brake on Beth's part brought them just out of range and directly behind him. Grinning evilly, Liz slammed on the gas and kept the car steady, bringing the Egoista's pointed nose directly into his rear fender. The car gave under the Cybertronian's much harder armor, much to the surprise of the man driving it, and when Liz quite suddenly engaged the brakes, he spun ever-so-slightly, but just enough to send him careening out of control.

It was down to the last 3 miles and two drivers. Well, three, actually. The lead man was not happy, if the sour expression on his face and the way he kept trying to block them was any indication. He managed to get directly in front of the Lambo and cut in another burst of nitro, the ignited liquid flaring into Smokescreen's front bumper.

"Okay," Smoke hissed out angrily, causing Beth to say a quick and smiling "uh-oh."

The car swerved hard to the left as Smokescreen kicked in his own nitro boosters and drew up alongside the lead driver, bringing them neck and neck. The other driver scowled at Liz and swerved toward them, attempting to ram them hard. Beth turned away, reducing the contact force of the impact and pushing back a moment later. Given that her vehicle was no ordinary car, the pair pushed harder, driving him to the other side of the road before disengaging. The rival swerved back toward them again, but Smokescreen kicked in his overdrive and sped forward at a full fifty percent above the other car's speed on its best day. Liz's eyes and mouth were wide open in pure, high-octane bliss, her hands gladly leaving the steering wheel and letting Smoke take control as they sped across the finish line clocking well above 250.

…

1 hour later

9:15 PM

Sudley, VA

The jet-based car pulled into Caden's driveway just as he was finishing his conversation with Hawk. He could almost audibly hear his guardian breathe a sigh of relief when Liz stepped out unharmed and giggling her ass off. The car was shimmying back and forth, and they both figured Smokescreen was doing the same.

"Priceless," she said to Smokescreen when she walked within earshot of the others. Turning to them, she spoke again. "So, Ratchet overly pissed about our little...modification?"

Caden smirked. "Well, considering it took him the better part of four hours and a half-dozen human technicians to get it out, I'd say so, though I didn't see that happen in person. I'd recommend that none of us go to base for a while."

They laughed in tandem and quieted down before Beth's expression became serious. "Cade?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't...I don't want to be helpless anymore." Her dark green eyes locked with his. "Train me how to fight like you."

Drake gave her a half-smile and chuckled lightly, the intense look in his eyes belying his mirth. "Nobody fights like me." As his smile faded, he gazed into her eyes for a few more moments before nodding ever-so-slightly. "But I'll do the best I can. I had actually meant to propose that to you earlier, when we were in the base, but…" he laughed, "we were a little preoccupied."

She mimicked the action. "Right...well, when do we start?"

"After dinner...and a night or so," he responded, nodding toward his front door and leading the way inside.

…

2 hours later

11:37 PM

Liz lazily climbed into Smokescreen's single-seated interior, laden with heavy food and a whole lot of future plans to consider. She smiled and patted the seat affectionately as she leaned back in her seat.

"Let's go home," she said, a drowsy mirth in her voice.

"Home, huh?" Smokescreen chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, nothing."

She raised her eyebrow at his flippant tone, but said nothing, perfectly content to relax and let him drive. The purr of the engine made her body go almost completely limp, her cheek rubbing against the immensely comfortable seat as she started to drift off peacefully. "Smokescreen?"

"Yeah?"

"Will...will you be my guardian?" She could almost hear the smile in his response.

"Thought you'd never ask."

She just smiled a little wider and closed her eyes, the easy, even movement of the car lulling her to sleep, one thought crossing her mind before she passed out.

_I could definitely get used to this._

* * *

AN: Brutally short chapter compared to the amount of time between updates, I know, but like I said before, my studies are taking a lot more of my time than I'd like. Rest assured, I'll update as soon as humanly possible, but that may just be a week or two at a time. Hope you enjoyed this small filler chapter and the new dynamic with Liz and Smokescreen, as well as her training.

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

None


	24. Megatron's Revenge

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

* * *

"Smokescreen?"

"Yeah?"

"Will...will you be my guardian?" She could almost hear the smile in his response.

"Thought you'd never ask."

She just smiled a little wider and closed her eyes, the easy, even movement of the car lulling her to sleep, one thought crossing her mind before she passed out. _I could definitely get used to this._

…

1 month later

8:12 PM

Washington, DC

1 year, 8 months after the death of the Fallen

"Another!"

Liz laughed and gave a nod to the wide-eyed bartender, who seemed downright terrified that the man asking for his twelfth shot was even conscious, much less calling for more. "Are you _trying_ to get drunk, Cade?"

He arched an eyebrow and gave her a pouty expression. "Do or do not. There is no try."

Beth rolled her eyes at him and grinned at Chris, who was shaking his head at the younger man in disbelief. "Don't ever say he doesn't have endurance."

"You would know, wouldn't you?"

Liz's smile vanished at the new voice, and Caden almost imperceptibly tensed up, in a way only someone who'd been sleeping next to him for two months could notice. Slowly, the brunette turned toward the red-headed source, smiling semi-warmly. "Ella. Nice of you to join us."

The girl smiled back, eyes half-lidded in an almost catlike expression as her gaze glided over to Caden, whose back was still to her and hand reaching for one shot after the next at an almost feverish pace. "Hey," she said, prodding Drake's back with a firm forefinger. She spoke again when he finally turned his head toward her. "You remember _me_, don't you?"

His smile almost mirrored hers, and for a moment Liz felt panic rush through her. "How could I _forget_?" He politely outstretched his hand, memory of their first meeting coming back in vivid detail, the firm, lingering grip as real in the present as it was in the past.

"Sorry things didn't work out between you two," Ella said, smile fading and eyebrows coming together in sympathy, her eyes going between Liz and Caden, the former barely keeping herself from snarling. Ella turned her sole attention back to Cade and let her gaze wander over him. "So what have you been keeping busy with these days?"

He shrugged noncommittally. "Oh, you know. Bit of this, bit of that. Consulting work."

"Really," she asked earnestly, seating herself on a bar stool next to him, her chin propped on her palm. "What kind of consulting?"

He gulped down another shot, the tang of the alcohol allowing himself to show his suppressed grimace without being suspected. "The kind you need security clearance for." His dark eyes met her bright green ones, his face betraying none of his revulsion but eyes seeming to project it. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He actually smiled after saying this, in a malevolent way that made even the lead-stomached Ella uneasy.

She laughed to save face. "Little stereotypical, don't you think?"

Caden shrugged and took his sixteenth shot, the buzz of the drinks starting to get to him. "Not really. Frankly, in my line of work, if you ever found out what I deal with on a daily basis, it'd be a mercy for me to kill you."

Ella actually paled. "Huh...well...that's...interesting."

Her silence brought Caden a welcome relief as he slowed down his intake of intoxicating beverages and turned his thoughts to the events of the past month. After the Chess Conspiracy, as it was now quite melodramatically being called, NEST had spent all available time and manpower not assigned to finding Megatron cleaning house. The incident with Sergeant Cole left a bad taste in the mouths of all the soldiers who knew him, as well as Director Mearing, who was more than pissed at herself for not pegging him sooner. Caden tried to reassure her, stating that Keystone moles had been placed in some of the highest levels of government for decades before he took the organization apart, and few, if any, had ever been exposed. They got close, made you like them, pretended to be your friend, earned your trust. It was just how they operated.

Caden himself had overseen the hunt over the last month, knowing better than anyone how to spot a plant of that caliber. Thus far, they had uncovered four sleeper cells and disposed of them, keeping them under maximum security with no visitors and no documentation. If NEST was to neutralize the threat and keep it that way, the sleepers would have to vanish without a trace, and since execution was distasteful to all parties involved, Drake decided to simply lock them in the darkest hole that could be found and throw away the key. Mearing seemed to have gained a new respect for him, both for his devotion to the cause of justice and loyalty to the team, if not to the country. As they began working more closely together over the course of the month, he had made it very specific that he held allegiance to no flag or government, and took orders from no one. Despite this and the fact that it practically screamed "trouble" to her finely honed instincts, she found herself trusting and even liking him for his uncompromising stance on the merits of right and wrong.

Mind returning to the present, Caden barely gave Ella another glance as his eyes turned to an empty chair on his right, sighing almost inaudibly. _One month. She told me she'd be back in one month. _Gulping down another shot, he stared at the dark wood of the bar, his right finger absently tracing patterns on it. _I gotta give her more time. She didn't say exactly a month, and if Carmine's still on the loose…_ He shook his head. _No. She promised she'd be here, and she wouldn't delay her return for that. She'd want my help, especially after what happened._ And what happened plagued his mind, in both his waking and resting hours. Carmine had gotten within a hairsbreadth of killing both of the women in his life, and he'd barely managed to stop it. He had thanked a higher power every day since then that he had decided to start working on a portable and easily concealable firearm a few weeks before. The single-shot, wrist-mounted gun he'd used to destroy the detonator couldn't have been more perfectly placed at that moment in time.

"Caden," Liz said from behind him, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her warm, easy smile never failed to lighten the mood, and this time was no exception. Pulling something from her purse, she handed him a small wrapped package and watched as he opened it almost delicately. "Happy birthday."

Drake smiled widely. "A wallet."

"An _indestructible_ wallet," she corrected, grinning.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Woman, you should know by now that nothing is indestructible in my line of work."

"Oh, I know." She curled a lock of hair around her finger. "But it should hold up to anything short of...oh, I don't know, a fusion cannon blast."

Caden smile faded instantly at the mention of that, and Beth noticed. He raised a hand to stop her from speaking and forced a smile back onto his face. "Thank you." He turned away from her, back to brooding. The girl had reminded him of the one thing he wanted to think about least: Megatron. From any and all accounts, the Decepticon lord was a thousand times beyond vindictive when it came to those who slighted him, he was homicidal. The fact that he had blown the Con's arm off-and then personally gloated about it-didn't give Caden a lot of hope about his chances. After all, Sam had _killed _him, and he nearly got his head cut open _without_ gloating. He nearly shuddered at what Megatron would do to him given the chance and very dearly hoped he would never find out.

…

"Hello? Are you there?"

Hawk snarled at the mocking voice on his comm. channel before responding. "What the Pit do you want, Megatron?"

"To deliver a message. An ultimatum, really."

Hawk cringed as a video flooded his optics, a window opening in his vision to show what looked like a camera feed. "What is this?"

"This-" he paused as the feed zoomed in, allowing Hawk to see the bar that Caden was in, "-is my only warning. Retrieve the human and deliver him to the coordinates of my choosing."

The Autobot laughed mirthlessly. "Go frag yourself, then have Starscream reformat you. I guarantee it'd improve your intelligence if you'd ask me to do something like that." Hawk's optics widened internally as he saw the feed zoom in more and a crosshair appear over Caden's body.

"I wasn't asking."

_Sideways,_ Hawk thought with a snarl. "You...slagger. You want me to hand him over to you when I know he'll die and you're coercing me into doing it by threatening to kill him?"

"Hardly," Megatron drawled. "I want him for study, not execution. What difference does one human more or less make to me?"

"This _one human_ shamed you, Megatron. Defeated you. I know what you do to _Autobots _who've done that, much less a human."

"Bring him to me. Now." Megatron's words were punctuated by the familiar charging of a Nucleon rifle over the feed. "I won't tell you again."

Panic rushed through Hawk as several options occurred to him. He could jump between Sideways and his partner. His fight with the Con last month proved that he could take the hit at point-blank range with his new armor. But then, he'd be too injured to help Caden, and without backup, Megatron would get to him anyway.

"Sideways," Megatron started over the link.

"Don't! I'll do it, okay? Just...let him live."

"No tricks, Autobot. No comm. signals to Prime or any of the others. Sideways isn't the only Decepticon I have on standby, and you can bet your spark that each and every one of them would just _love_ to execute your human pet."

"Understood," Hawk growled out, cutting the connection and driving up to the curb of the bar. His holoform materialized and stepped out of the car's driver seat, walking inside to get him. "Caden," he called, getting the now-twenty-year-old's attention. He nodded toward the outside, and Drake got up with a nod.

"Duty calls," he said to the partiers present, not noticing the suspicious way Chris was looking at Hawk, no, beyond Hawk. Caden walked out the door and entered his Lamborghini, turning to the driver's seat as the holoform seated himself. "So where's the fire?"

"Shenandoah River State Park," his partner answered glumly before letting his holoform fizzle out.

Caden wondered at Hawk's sullen silence, but said nothing, knowing there must be a good reason for it. He didn't question the trip or its parameters, nor did he keep an eye out for anything suspicious. If he had, he would have noticed the silver Toyota Camry following them at a safe distance, all the way to their secluded destination. Two hours later, Hawk pulled onto a dark, winding mountain road and ascended it for what seemed like hours before finally reaching the end. Caden dismounted, his Sig and other weapons ready for action when he noticed the lack of backup. There were no lights. No other cars. No NEST personnel or Autobots. It was just him and a now-transformed Hawk. Or so he thought.

The thunderous steps of a thirty-plus-foot entity reached Caden's ears as he turned toward the source. Fear and panic struck him as he raised his Daggertail and flipped the safety off, the MA system humming to life as he prepared for a fight. That was when he noticed Hawk's lack of activity, the Bot just standing there, optics pointed at the ground, his shoulders slumped and fists clenched. He didn't move, didn't change his expression, didn't change anything even as Megatron entered the clearing by the road and smiled at Caden malevolently. An Audi R8 also pulled up and transformed, revealing a similarly gleeful Sideways. When Hawk did nothing about either of them, the truth finally dawned on Caden.

And he ran.

Drake barely got two steps before Sideways leapt in front of him, pounding the pavement and swiping his clawed fingers over his weapon, knocking the Daggertail out of reach. When he pulled his Sig and fired three shots into the Con's optics, Megatron himself pinned Caden's arm to the ground, testing his new right arm's dexterity.

"Now now," Megatron almost laughed out, "let's not make a fuss about this. I'm not going to kill you, insect." _Not yet,_ Caden thought. "In fact, I need you." Megatron looked at his right shoulder and nodded. "Doctor, examine this...specimen."

A small, crab-like Decepticon skittered down Megatron's right arm, chattering to himself the whole way as several others who looked just like him were illuminated by sparks coming from Megatron's damaged helm. "Yis," he hissed out as he reached Caden's body, the twenty-year-old snarling at him as his limbs were held immobile. "Zis vill do nicely."

Drake recognized the sadistic Decepticon field medic as Scalpel, and realized that Megatron intended to dissect him, remembering clearly that Knockout had cited him as the one the Decepticon leader went to for delicate scientific projects. _He must be trying to figure out how I fought him and survived. _One last struggle against Megatron's iron grip and he knew it was hopeless, especially with his guardian standing by, doing nothing. A despairing sigh left his body as he cringed and closed his eyes, resigning himself to his fate.

Megatron lifted his hand off the human, motioning for Sideways to take him when a pair of headlights illuminated the four of them. The angry roar of an engine came from it as a vehicle sped toward the Decepticon assassin, smashing its front bumper into his legs and toppling him. Suddenly freed from his grasp, Caden ran toward his rescuer, attempting to get in when Megatron crushed the back of it easily. The driver-side door opened, revealing a man about Caden's height toting a tire iron. And then Drake's heart sank as he realized it wasn't an Autobot, but his friend Chris Douglas. He was too far away and too stunned to do anything as Chris charged at Megatron and uselessly swung the iron, denting it against the Con's much harder leg.

Truly, Megatron was amused, and made no efforts to harm him. Instead, he watched as his field medic hopped off his shoulder and grabbed a charging and screaming Caden, holding him helpless in the air as Scalpel leapt toward Chris, one of his legs' razor-sharp talons digging into his iron-toting arm, allowing him an anchor. Caden could do nothing but watch as the man screamed in agony, could do nothing but yell in rage and anguish as another of Scalpel's appendages swung in an arc and cut his friend's throat open.

…

10 minutes later

The Decepticons' base was a massive underground complex carved into the side of the mountain, much like the installation that had been leveled near Massanutten. The ceilings were high enough even for Megatron, and the entire place was comprised of a mixture of concrete and Cybertronian metal. Caden hadn't said a word since the death of Chris Douglas, and Hawk had been escorted into the base by Sideways, who was holding his Nucleon rifle on him. It was needless. The Bot didn't have any fight in him. He was silent and sullen as they escorted Caden to a cell.

"Please," Hawk said finally, voice breaking up, "let me." The last thing he wanted was for his friend to be treated as just another piece of cargo, and Megatron almost graciously assented, allowing Hawk to hold Caden and lower him into the room. "Cade, I—" The piercing glare his partner fixed him with shut him up instantly. The look of sheer hurt that followed, of betrayal, nearly broke his spark and offlined him for good as the boy snarled and spoke.

"So all this time...you were playing the long con." He chuckled nastily. "Well done."

Hawk said nothing more as Megatron smiled at his handiwork and escorted the Bot away, Sideways powering up the electric gate of Caden's cell before following them.

…

_There's no way he was playing the long con, _Caden thought as he watched Megatron's left hand leave. He sat down on a human-sized bed mounted on the far wall, head in his hands as he tried to figure all this out. _He's being leveraged. With me. _Caden's teeth clenched and bared as rage filled him at the thought. He channeled the rage, let it fill and dominate him, pushing away the grief over Chris' death. He would mourn him later. Right now, he had work to do. He had to figure out Megatron's plan and how he would thwart it, without Hawk's help, if need be. Above all, he had to figure out a way to save his friend from whatever his former boss had planned. _The worst thing the Cons could've done was stick me in this cell and leave me alone._ A malevolent smirk came to his face. _Now I'll have all the time I need._

He lay down on his back and stared into infinity, past the ceiling, his body's inactivity belying the hyperconcentrated traffic of thoughts running through his head as the greatest spy in the world figured out how to do what he did best.

…

Next day

12:03 PM

After a night of torture, both physical and psychological, Hawk was being allowed to see Caden. His sullen attitude from the previous night hadn't changed. In fact, with what he had just been told, it had intensified, and the full gravity of his failure was now hitting him.

"You're going to win the war for me," Megatron had said. "This human-Autobot alliance has been shrapnel in my side for far too long, and I'm going to wipe it off the map. Compile a full data file on NEST and its capabilities, resources, everything; then, I want you to introduce another virus into their mainframe, this time crippling it beyond repair. We will crush them once and for all...and then you will die. If we do not, then _he_ will."

Hawk had simply nodded and asked to see Caden, to make sure he wasn't being mistreated. Megatron had chuckled and assented, assigning Soundwave to escort the Autobot. Now, he was staring at Caden through the electric gate that comprised his cell's "bars."

"Open it," Hawk said, voice cracking. "Please," he added when Soundwave remained still.

Smiling evilly at Hawk's "weakness" for the human, the intelligence officer complied, allowing the Bot to transform and project his holoform, who strode into the cell before Soundwave closed the gate.

"Cade...I'm sorry, I—" He stopped talking, unable to continue even as his partner remained lying on his bed, face-up, staring blankly at the ceiling. "I'm sorry about Chris...about everything." Hawk approached Caden slowly, expression and body language pleading with him. "I wish I could take it all back, that there had been another way, but...they had you in their sights. They were going to kill you, and I couldn't...I couldn't let that happen." Still no response. He stepped closer, within five feet of him. "Do you hear me? Caden—"

He was cut off when Caden rolled off the bed and, faster than he even thought possible in a human, pinned him against the nearest wall, a threatening snarl on his face. "I don't _care_. You betrayed me. To them." He pointed at Soundwave.

The holoform's lips trembled in anguish. "I...I know. And I'm so sorry."

Caden's expression didn't soften or change in the slightest, but he nodded almost imperceptibly before releasing him and drawing back. He sat back down on his bed, body angled sideways, his left to the gate as Soundwave and Hawk walked away, the holoform having fizzled out. When they were both out of sight, a small smile came to his face as his right hand tightened around the item Hawk had slipped to him during their struggle, keeping it out of sight. _Knew it._ All he had to do now was wait for an opportunity to use it. He didn't have long to wait. The electric gate powered down as a Vehicon held Scalpel up to an optical scanner on the gate's outside. Caden had noticed the same machine on the inside of his cell, as well as a series of "hidden" cameras he'd spotted upon being laid in the room.

_If the scanner responds to Scalpel, then he's my ticket out of here._ It wasn't the first time the mini Con had been in his cell, and by now, Drake knew what to expect from his visits. Underneath the long sleeves of his running shirt were claw and needle marks received over the course of the night and morning. Scalpel had, as expected, been tasked by Megatron to figure out what made Caden so special among his kind, as he had never seen a human able to perform the feats that he had. Thus far, blood, tissue, and even spinal fluid samples had been taken, with no end in sight. If Caden hadn't learned how to suppress pain a long time ago, he might have been groaning in his bed even then.

"I'm baaack," Scalpel called far too happily as he entered the cell, the Vehicon leaving to another section of the base. No guards were posted outside due to the fact that he likely wouldn't get far even if he managed to escape his cell, and because he had never resisted before. He would this time. "Let's zee vat ve can zee." Approaching the prone human on the bed, he climbed up and positioned himself on Caden's flat torso, a buzz saw deploying from one of his tiny arms.

An instant later, Caden had dumped Scalpel on the floor and rolled off the bed, stomping on half of his legs, severing them instantly. The crab-like Con gave a high-pitched shriek and tried to crawl away with what he had left. Caden pinned him to the floor with a foot as he brandished the item from Hawk, hitting a slider on its side and deploying it into his energon sword.

"This is for Chris Douglas, you sadistic son of a bitch!" The tip of his sword went through the mini Con's spark and into the floor of his cell before getting pulled out, slashing his head off. Caden's left hand picked up the severed head and held it up to the optical scanner, powering down the electric gate and tossing the head aside as he sprinted out to find his partner.

…

"Lord Megatron!"

"What is it," he asked on his internal comms., his optics observing Hawk as they stood in the secluded room, the computer terminal powered up and being worked on by his coerced Autobot, the two of them alone except for a single security officer.

"The prisoner's escaped!"

Megatron snarled and barely restrained a growl, as that would certainly tip Hawk off to the fact that he had temporarily lost his leverage. "Do not sound the alarm under any circumstances. Not until Hawk is finished. Find the human and if you cannot stop him, stall him." He closed the line and nodded to the security officer, motioning for him to assist in the search as he watched the Bot work almost despairingly, finishing the data packet on NEST and putting together one of his trademark cyberviruses for insertion into their mainframe. Another three minutes later, Hawk was finished, and his right index finger hovered over the "send" key, knowing that that one action would permanently cripple NEST systems and allow Megatron unlimited access to their base. It would be the Immobilizer all over again, except instead of being in stasis lock, the Autobots would be dead.

"Hawk, stop!"

Both Cybertronians turned toward the source of the voice, a six-foot human with a glowing energon sword in his right hand. Megatron reached to his back and pulled out his new fusion cannon, a shotgun-looking weapon with two barrels, both glowing blue as it charged up, pointing in Caden's direction.

"No!"

Hawk jumped onto Megatron's arm, knocking his aim off and sending the fusion round into a wall. "Caden, go!" He rolled out of the way of a shot, ducking under a blow from the gladiator and unsubspacing one of his Cybertanium swords as he cut a gash into Megatron's left leg. "Run, damn you!"

Drake snarled and held his sword two-handedly. "No. No more running." Caden charged at Megatron with a dragged-out yell, his sword gripped tightly as all fear left his system. Leaping at the Decepticon lord, he drove his blade into the back of Megatron's right knee underhandedly, using it to climb up his chassis as Hawk engaged him. His Autobot partner drew the Sword of Primus from his subspace, having retrieved both it and Caden's weapons from the Decepticon armory during an "escape attempt," slashing the blade across Megatron's chest as he drew back in defense. Megatron planted a firm kick on Hawk's chest with his treaded foot, knocking him against a wall hard as his clawed hands reached around for Caden.

The human slashed one of his fingers that got too close, then stabbed him in the back of the neck. Megatron growled and activated his back jets, flying backward toward a wall, meaning to crush him. Caden leapt down onto his right arm, plunging the glowing blade into the metal and pulling himself up. He dodged a smack by Megatron's left hand and slashed a servo in his arm, jumping off at a height of 20 feet and rolling on impact. Hawk had recovered by this time, and flip-kicked his former leader in the face, drawing his left blade in tandem with the Sword of Primus. Working in tandem, Hawk and Caden managed to keep Megatron guessing, but inflicted minor damage at best. The Bot slashed a line through Megatron's right arm, causing him to drop his fusion cannon in pain and backhand him hard.

Hawk went flying against a wall backfirst, upside down in a crater the shape of his body. Megatron reached for his fallen cannon when he spotted Caden picking up a small device that had fallen from Hawk's chassis and throwing it. The magnetic explosive stuck to Megatron's chest and detonated a moment later, causing the Con to roar and swipe at his attacker. Caden rolled under the strike and sprinted behind him, slashing the back of his already injured right leg and cutting a critical servo, causing him to drop to one knee. Megatron snarled and locked optics with his eyes as the human realized his mistake and spotted the massive gray arm coming toward him.

"Caden!" Hawk yelled desperately as he watched his partner's body fly forty feet toward a wall and land with a sickening crunch.

Caden's sword fell to the ground from his limp fingers, his body completely immobile. Panic seized the Infiltrator, followed by an unstoppable rage as he dive-rolled for Megatron's fallen cannon, hefting the much larger weapon and pointing it at its owner. The first shot shattered Megatron's right knee, and the second and third severed his left leg, leaving the Decepticon lord completely crippled and roaring in agony. Hawk dropped the cannon and rushed over to the fallen Caden, a few incredibly rapid scans washing over his body, confirming that he was still alive. Sprinting toward the door, he transformed and sped toward the exit, laying Caden in his passenger seat as gently as possible and keeping him still with a seatbelt.

Automatic fire from a dozen Vehicons followed him as he screeched past, his impeccable driving dodging most of it, his armor taking the rest in his mad dash for escape. Not even Sideways was able to stop or even slow him down when he got to the exit, shifting to Stealth Force mode and readying his concealed fusion cannon to blast the hatch shut. The concrete and metal collapsed inward on the pursuing Cons, and he shifted back to car mode as he scanned the area for any signs of pursuit. Instead, he found a familiar jet flying overhead and pinged it.

"Hawk," Jetfire commed back, "where the Pit—"

"Not now, Jetfire! Spacebridge us back to base, now!"

The Aerialbot obliged and descended to him in VTOL mode, sparks and golden light dancing around them for a few seconds before they suddenly appeared at NEST headquarters. Hawk transformed almost instantly, his hands cradling Caden's broken body as he ran toward the medbay.

"Hawk!" Ratchet called, sprinting to meet him and transferring the human to his own grasp. "What's the damage?"

"Do I look like a medic," he asked irately as Ratchet gave him an innocent look and laid Caden down on an operating table. His optics and systems scanned over his friend, hoping against hope that Ratchet could work his magic to save him until Jetfire bodily carried him out of the medbay.

…

1 hour later

1:24 PM

When Ratchet finally exited the medbay, he looked worn-out and not at all happy. Hawk rose upon seeing him and strode up with the rest of the Autobots, who had all returned from their search for the pair.

"How is he?"

The CMO's optics locked with Hawk's as he pressed his metal lips together and shook his head. "He'll live. His body is far more resilient than I expected, and although the trauma is extensive...if he were anyone else, he'd be dead."

"But he's not. So?"

Ratchet vented heavily. "So I'll keep an eye on him for now. I'm afraid that apart from waiting, there's nothing more I can do. Not until his body regains some of its strength. He's...going to be unconscious for a long time."

"How long exactly?"

"Hard to tell with his physiology, but with injuries this extensive...I'd say at least two months."

Hawk staggered back, his spark stalling and aching painfully, causing him to grip his chest, leaning against a nearby beam for support.

"And now it's time for you to answer a few questions of your own, like how in the Pit this happened."

Hawk's pained look vanished, replaced by cold fury and narrowed optics. "No." He turned around and started walking away.

"Hawk," Ratchet insisted, laying a hand on his shoulder.

The Infiltrator spun around almost instantly, knocking Ratchet's hand away and grabbing him by the right shoulder with his left hand, his right hand clenching into a fist as his Cybertanium blade snapped out, its point against his throat. Everyone standing there, Autobot and human alike, was so stunned that all they could do was watch. "I said," he hissed out, "no." Slowly, Hawk's snarl diminished, and he released a terrified Ratchet, retracting his sword and turning away. "Let me know if his condition changes," he said, much more quietly. "I'll be in the brig."

He didn't bother to look at the others or stop until he reached his destination, making a call with his internal systems.

"Hello," the voice on the other end said.

"Kara," Hawk responded, his voice cracking, "it's...Caden. He's hurt. Bad."

The line was silent for a few moments. "I'm on my way."

The call went silent as she hung up and left Hawk to brood until a familiar shape was seen in his peripheral vision. His spark wrenched again as he recognized her. "Liz," he whispered to himself, "oh Primus no."

"Hawk," she said, features twisted sympathetically as she reached out to hold his massive hand. "You okay?"

"No," he said with a shake of his head. "And you won't be either when you hear what I have to tell you."

Liz's lower lip disappeared into her mouth as she bit down on it, suspecting exactly what he was about to say.

"Chris...he's dead."

And just like that, her world shattered with the Autobot's spark.

…

1 week later

Hawk refused to leave the brig, to move, to take energon, to even speak to anyone except Ratchet, and even then only to hear medical reports on Caden's status. He told none of them anything about what had happened. Not even the arrival of Kara Bensen managed to shake him out of his stupor. He fluctuated between recharge and activity absently, not caring what happened next except for the one desire that was constantly on his processor: that Caden would wake up and be completely healed. He knew their friendship was over. He had betrayed him-to _Megatron_, of all sentients. In one cruel blow, the Decepticon leader had proven to him that all his self-doubt and loathing had been merited. He had taken his revenge without taking his life, and he realized that living with such monumental guilt and shame was a far worse fate than death itself.

So when Kara looked over from her place at Caden's bedside to the source of giant metal steps, she was surprised to find his Autobot guardian striding toward them and sitting down, his glowing blue optics staring at Drake's limp, unconscious form as he recounted his injuries. _Eight broken ribs, two of them shattered. Ruptured spleen. Extensive dermal bruising. Dislocated right shoulder. Dislocated left knee. Fractured shoulderblade. Fractured left forearm. Grade 3 concussion._ All Hawk could see that was left exposed by his white medical gown was his neck, face, and arms, and none of them looked good. Utter failure flooded his system, and he looked away, defeated.

"That idiot," he choked out after a long time. "He took on Megatron. _Megatron_ dammit!" His optics drifted to Kara's reddened eyes. "How could he have been so stupid?"

"It's funny," she said as she chuckled mirthlessly, shaking her head and turning away from him, "he said the same thing about you last year."

"And?"

"And I'm gonna told you what I told him." She locked dark eyes with his glowing blue ones. "He did it because he cared."

Hawk scoffed at that, staring at Caden's heart monitor. "No he didn't. I betrayed him. You should've seen the look on his face when he realized what I'd done. Sheer hatred." When Hawk finally looked at her, he saw only a sardonic smile on her face and wondered at it.

"Is that all? Tell me something, were the Decepticons looking when he gave you that expression?"

"Well," he started thoughtfully, voice trailing off. "Yes."

She smiled wider. "And you never once thought he might be faking it? He's a spy, Hawk. The best damn spy in the world. You think he didn't know you were being leveraged?" She saw the look of surprise on his face. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out the gist of why you're so glum, especially for someone who was there." He knew she meant Caden. "Once again, you've underestimated your partner."

"He's human," he said after a long while.

"He's _Caden_."

Hawk had no answer to that but silence. They sat quietly for a long time until Kara laid a hand on his.

"He needs you."

The Bot shrugged her hand off and got up. "You're one to talk," he almost growled out as he strode off back toward the brig.

She bit her lip, holding back tears as her eyes swept back to Caden's comatose body. "Yes," she whispered, "I am." Suddenly, her hands slammed on the bed's safety rail. "You need to wake up," she hissed. "Caden, you need to wake the hell up. There's so much you need to do, so much to fix. There's—" she choked, "—there's so much I need to tell you." Slumping into a nearby seat when he failed to answer, she fell asleep with her hand on his, her head on his uninjured shoulder.

…

2 weeks later

Kara had hardly left Caden's side to shower and eat, and Hawk had hardly left the brig to check up on them both. Her hand was on his, head against his shoulder, her eyes sweeping over the heavy bruising that had gone down considerably. They closed slowly, and she started to doze off when she felt an ever-so-slight pressure on her hand. Her dark eyes snapped open to see five fingers curling around her hand, then looked up to stare into the two dark eyes that she had missed seeing so much.

"Kara," Caden breathed out, smiling ever-so-slightly, "you came."

She broke into tears and smiled. "Of course I did."

They stared at each other for a long time, marveling in the fact that they were together again. Kara didn't have the time or presence of mind to even consider the fact that it had only been three weeks from the time of Caden's injuries. It had only taken three weeks of the two months that Ratchet had predicted would be necessary for him to regain consciousness.

"Where's Hawk," Cade asked finally, looking around the medbay.

Her face fell. "In the brig."

"What? Why?"

"He put himself there. Refused to talk to anyone about what happened until you woke up. Said you deserved to know the truth more than anyone."

Caden nodded and released her hand, pushing one of the safety rails down. "Help me up."

Her eyes widened. "Are you crazy? Ratchet said it would take at least_ two months _for you to even wake up, much less be walking around."

"And how long has it been?"

Kara thought for a moment before blinking in realization. "Three weeks."

He raised both eyebrows at her. "Shouldn't that in itself tell you he was wrong? Now help me up."

She did, supporting his left side and hauling him up to a sitting position, where she handed him his clothes and let him get dressed, wincing every time he hissed in pain. When he was finished, she supported his left as a human crutch as he walked through the empty halls to the brig, where a soldier spotted them and ran over.

"You're not supposed to be out of bed, sir."

Caden fixed him with his best viper glare, and he stepped out of their way, allowing Kara to get him inside through a side entrance. Hawk didn't even notice their presence until Caden spoke.

"Where the hell have you been?"

The Bot optics widened to their max as his jaw hung open and he stared at his injured friend.

Cade turned to Kara. "Give us a minute, will you? I'll be fine." She nodded reluctantly and let go of his arm, allowing him to limp forward, his left knee splinted and already mostly healed. "How you holding up?"

Hawk stared at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You've had half the bones in your body broken and been stuck in a coma for three weeks, and you're asking me how I'm doing?"

Caden fixed him with a soft look. "Physical injuries are the easiest to heal."

Hawk stared at him, face twisting with all the grief and pain that had been building over the last three weeks. "Cade...I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead and that I had led you there." He looked away. "How you could you possibly forgive me for that?"

Caden narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Because you're not my friend anymore."

The Bot's spark stopped completely.

Drake's bruised face and look melted into a warm smile. "You're family." He reached up and put a hand on Hawk's leg. "And family always sticks together. It's the same reason I went back for you. Not just to stop you from helping Megatron. To save you."

Hawk snorted, an almost painful relief washing through his system. "And look how _that_ turned out."

Caden smiled wider. "I'd gladly do it again."

Hawk vented in resignation and finally smiled. "It's good to have you back."

"Good to _be_ back." He hissed as his left knee fired up in pain. "Though not completely."

Hawk extended his hand, letting his partner and friend on, letting him sink into a sitting position before he got up and strode out of the brig, carrying him toward the entirety of the base, plus Kara and Liz. Optimus looked at them both, giving Caden a knowing smile and nodding. _Megatron tried to tear us apart, _Caden thought, _tried to turn us against each other through betrayal and mistrust, but he failed. He failed because trust is all I feel for Hawk. Trust...and the love of a brother. _Caden locked eyes with his friend's optics and nodded to him.

Venting in resignation, Hawk spoke.

"I promised you all that I'd have answers once my partner woke up, and like him, I always keep my promises."

* * *

AN: I was a little conflicted on how to proceed with this story arc, whether to split it up or not, but I decided not to when the whole capture and escape sequence ended up being shorter than I expected. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to Caden's recovery and more street racing.

As always, please review and recommend.

Season 2 finale!


	25. The Sub

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

* * *

Hawk extended his hand, letting his partner and friend on, letting him sink into a sitting position before he got up and strode out of the brig, carrying him toward the entirety of the base, plus Kara and Liz. Optimus looked at them both, giving Caden a knowing smile and nodding. _Megatron tried to tear us apart, _Caden thought, _tried to turn us against each other through betrayal and mistrust, but he failed. He failed because trust is all I feel for Hawk. Trust...and the love of a brother. _Caden locked eyes with his friend's optics and nodded to him.

Venting in resignation, Hawk spoke.

"I promised you all that I'd have answers once my partner woke up, and like him, I always keep my promises."

…

1 week later

6:30 PM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 9 months after the death of the Fallen

"So...he asked you to do this?"

Smokescreen scoffed at the question. "Since when does he ever ask? Practically _ordered _me to."

Drake rolled his eyes, grunting softly as the sharp pains from his still-healing shoulders and forearm ran up his arms all the way to his spine, the recovering limbs lifting him onto Smokescreen's hood. His dark eyes perused the faintly glowing horizon, the sun setting behind the trees as he looked back toward his house, his heart swelling slightly as he thought of its single resident. His eyelids closed softly, squeezing ever-so-slightly at the memory of her body in his arms the previous night. The way her hair drifted over her shoulders and his, the curve of her body against his angular muscles, everything was perfect and familiar and...her. She was everything he had ever hoped and dreamed for in a woman and then some. A wide, close-lipped smile came to his face as he gave thanks for the living blessing that he had in Kara.

"So, um…"

Caden's eyes opened smoothly and looked at the hood he was sitting on. "Sorry," he said, sliding himself off. "Just thinking."

"About?"

He smiled wider and nodded toward the house.

"Right." Smokescreen vented audibly.

"What?"

"Nothin'."

Caden suspected that wasn't the case, but didn't remark on it. "So, wanna come inside? We're having a Halo tournament," he added with a grin.

"Woah no," Smoke responded, backing up at a slow but steady pace. "No, no, no. I know your tricks, Drake. Hawk told me _all_ about that ego-killing Pit of a game, and I refuse to get duped into playing it."

Caden threw his head back and laughed hard, remembering the first time Hawk had actually tried his hand at Halo and failed to keep up. _Although,_ Cade thought, for a first-timer, _he was pretty damn good at it. _"All right then. You can watch Kara and me kill each other."

Smokescreen waited a few moments. "Fine."

…

1 hour later

7:40 PM

Fifteen minutes. That was as long as it took for Smokescreen to get sucked in by the game and toss aside his no-play rule. Caden had to admit, compared to Hawk, he was a natural. Maybe it was the fact that he was, oh, about a tenth of his old guardian's age. Whatever the case, he was more than keeping up. Another Elite charge was foiled by the combined firepower of Caden, Kara, and Smokescreen, the three of them cutting through the closest battle line to get to the mission objective: a Forerunner tower with an embedded message. Caden's fingers danced over the buttons, triggers, and sticks, unleashing a burst from his assault rifle on a Promethean Knight before tossing a near-useless pulse grenade at an Elite and his Grunt backup. Smokescreen was struggling to find ammo, and was forced to pick up a plasma pistol, spitting relatively ineffective fire at the mass of enemies guarding the tower.

Kara reappeared from active camo behind a Knight, assassinating him in a brilliantly fluid animation as the target's backup shifted toward her. A frag grenade from Smokescreen finished most of them off and leveled an Elite's shields, allowing an automatic burst from Caden to cut him down. The tower was secured not two minutes later, and the mission ended not long after.

"I honestly," Smokescreen started, "don't understand what Hawk's problem was."

"That he's an old man," Kara asked, a smile splitting her face. "Excuse me, old mech."

"Still…"

"Whatever the case," Caden cut in, "you're here, he's not. What do you want to do?"

"Well…" His holoform scratched his chin, a light shade of red "hair" on it, before grinning ear to ear. "There was this one thing I did with Liz a while back that was really, _really _fun."

Cade and Kara exchanged a look before the former spoke. "Oh?"

"Street racing."

Both the humans' eyes widened.

"Beth," Caden started, "let you take her street racing?"

"Drake, I swear, you've got a real talent for misjudging situations. I_ suggested _it after researching it online and informing her of the danger, and she practically _drove_ me there. Once it started, she actually _did_ drive me."

Caden smiled and raised his eyebrows even further at that. "You actually _let _her?"

Smokescreen shrugged. "Well, she was a really good driver...and she told me to take over if I needed to."

"Well, if I'm gonna be riding with you, same thing applies. What, did you think that every time I drove with Hawk that he gave up his control? He's a million-year-old warrior, been driving longer than human civilization's been in existence, and he has a field of vision that's very much superior to mine. I know when to trust his judgement."

"Well," Smoke said with a scratch of his head, "I'm not _that _old, but…"

"You're older than me, and I trust you if Hawk trusts you enough to put you in charge of my safety. Only question is, Kara, do _you_ trust him?"

The girl bit her lip and swept her piercing dark eyes over Smokescreen's redheaded holoform, then sighed in resignation. "Don't be out too late, boys."

Caden laughed and hugged her. "I promise."

They held each other for a lingering moment before Kara pressed her lips to his, her arms wrapping around his head and keeping him there for what Smokescreen felt was an uncomfortably long amount of time. When she started humming in enjoyment, the Bot gave a discreet cough and sheepishly looked away, his holoform completely red.

"Ahem," Caden coughed out, "guess I should've told you to wait outside. Um...can you?"

"Yep, thank you." Smokescreen's holoform vanished in a hasty retreat before Kara grinned at Caden cheekily, his face almost as red and embarrassed as Smokescreen's.

"You're kind of evil, you know that?"

She smiled wider. "I know." She pulled him close again, her wiry yet iron-strong arms keeping his lips breathlessly entangled in hers. Her soft hands roamed over his back and sides, sending slight tickling sensations through his t-shirt. When she reached his lower sides, he almost jumped, breaking the kiss and throwing his hands to protect his sides. "Still?"

Cade rolled his eyes. "Kara, I've always been sensitive there."

She snorted. "More like ticklish."

"No...maybe. Partially. Whenever you're involved though…"

"I know," she breathed into his ear, returning her hands to his sides ever-so-gently, reaching under his shirt and delicately stroking her fingers along his skin. He completely froze and held her shoulders loosely, his knees almost collapsing before he gently pushed her away.

"I have to go," he almost gasped out, pulling away, his breathing and heart rate elevated.

She gave him a seductive smile. "I know," she purred, knowing that the last thing he wanted to do right now was go street racing. "I'll be here when you get back."

Caden's jaw dropped slightly as his eyes followed the wave-like sway of her hips as she glided up the stairs and out of sight. He let out a ragged breath, shaking his head and blinking rapidly to clear his hormone-induced haze before striding out the door to get to Smokescreen.

…

2 hours later

10:05

Dulles Airport

"Came back for round two?"

Smokescreen's single tinted door lifted to reveal a six-foot man instead of a five-ten girl, causing the speaker to backpedal a step or two at his near-predatory expression. Caden stepped out of the car, crossing his arms and leaning back against its side, glaring at anyone who dared come close while he was smiling internally. _Intimidation is the best tactic for psychological warfare, I find. Although with_ his_ engine, I'm not even sure I need the edge. _Another ten minutes passed before the announcer strode up to the road, mic in hand.

"Mount up and start up!"

Each driver responded in kind, the loser from last race recognized by Smokescreen and scowling at him. The car rumbled angrily in response, and the man looked on in confusion until the announcer drew his eyes to the front.

"You all know the 'rules.' Drive smart, drive well, and drive fast...and maybe you won't get sent to the scrapyard with what's left of your ride."

A universal laugh came from all present, including Caden, who was smiling sinisterly and gripping the wheel of his Lambo Egoista. The jet-like car revved in response, Smokescreen mirroring his predatory mood and expressions as the announcer counted down from five.

"—Four-three-two-one-go!"

Caden slammed on the gas, accelerating at a pace that almost rivaled Earth reentry and would have burnt his tires to a crisp had he been driving a normal car. He was almost instantly in second place, shuffling over to first a few seconds later.

"Woah," Smokescreen said, "what happened to hustling?"

Caden chuckled. "I have a girl to get back to, so let's just say that being a sporting driver isn't very high on my list of things to do right now." He kept a solid hundred-foot lead on the other drivers until one in the back started catching up. Drake checked Smokescreen's speedometer, clocking himself at 150 without nitro boosters and wondering how on Earth another driver could have a car capable of matching him. He was too focused on the race to see that the car had tinted windows or was shimmering ever so slightly. "Okay, we got some competition. Let's show 'im how it's done." Drake shifted Smokescreen up a gear and pushed his engine to the limit, barely keeping a lead on this new contender. The car nudged his rear bumper slightly, causing Caden to shift lanes on the darkened backroad to avoid being run off.

The other vehicle, a blue muscle car of a make he hadn't seen before, sped to his side before emitting a laughing noise and kicking in nitro boosters. Caden's jaw dropped.

"Did that thing just—?"

"Yeah," Smoke said hesitantly. A few more seconds passed before they got over their shock and realized they were losing.

"Enough a this." Flipping the gear shifter's side open, he hit a button that kicked in Smokescreen's overdrive and rocketed them toward the rival car at 250 mph. "Awww hail yeah!" Caden had never pushed Hawk this far, but he didn't doubt that the older Autobot could match Smokescreen's speed. They came up on the rear of the car and scraped the edge of its paint in a near miss, crossing the finish line with barely a thousand feet to spare. They could almost feel the car seething and glaring at them, its driver parking it ten feet from Smokescreen and refusing to get out. After collecting their winnings and starting on the drive home, an uneasy feeling settled into Caden's stomach that they were being watched.

It was confirmed seconds later when they were rammed from the side by the same car. Smokescreen spun several times, his right side half caved-in from the impact as he reeled in pain. Caden was likewise jarred, but kept his senses long enough to spot the other car and see the way its colors and shape shifted. His eyes widened. _No. _What had once been a blue sports car was now an all-too-familiar bright red Ferrari.

"Smokescreen," Caden said almost panickedly when he couldn't open his door. "Smokescreen, come on, you gotta move!"

A groan came from the speakers. "Can't. T-cog...dislodged."

"T-cog?"

"I need it to transform."

"I don't need you to transform, I need you to move. Give me controls, or something!"

"Sorry...I don't think-"

"I don't think you have the time or brainpower to think," the other car said in a snobbish voice.

"Knockout," Caden said, almost snarling, "nice to see you again."

"Wish I could say the same, fleshie. You scratched my paint, I demolish yours."

"You made an exception for Hawk," Drake responded as he gave Smoke's door a firm kick, not budging it.

"I was feeling charitable. Not today. Today you beat me at my own game and, to add insult to injury, scratched my brilliant finish. Which means I scrap you and your guardian."

With one last kick, Caden knocked the door open and leapt out, spinning and rolling away from Smokescreen as Knockout transformed and drew a dual-pronged electrostaff from his subspace. Caden pulled his Sig from a holster inside his jacket, powering up the MA system and taking a few shots at the Con's joints. Knockout threw his hands up in defense, but his armor did little good, as he was a medic designed for repairs, not heavy combat. The bullets effectively went right through, hitting sensitive cables and servos. In the middle of his thrashing, Knockout accidentally smacked Smokescreen with his staff-hard. The impact, in concert with the electric shock, realigned his T-cog and got him moving again, albeit sluggishly.

"Look out below!" Smokescreen yelled as he jumped above Knockout in Stealth Force Mode, transforming midair to plant a drop-kick on the Decepticon's head. The two struggled for a few moments in a grapple, but Smokescreen was a member of Cybertron's Elite Guard and the apprentice of a legendary fighter. Knockout was tossed on his aft in a matter of seconds, Smoke deploying his plasma cannons and firing blue bolts at him in rapid succession. A few missed, but most found their marks on his chest plating. Spinning his staff, Knockout deflected a few more incoming rounds before bringing it to bear against Smokescreen. The inside of it was caught by the Autobot and used as leverage to throw him off-balance, a firm side-kick punting Knockout back into a pair of trees.

To Smokescreen's surprise, he didn't get back up to fight, but just stared at his arms in shock and horror. His once-immaculate paintjob was not only scratched, but near-stripped, thanks to both the high-heat and high-impact attacks of his opponents.

"You...you...damn you Autobots!" He leapt to his feet, not retrieving his staff and instead pointing an accusing finger at them both. "Nobody ever understands the importance of a good finish!" He stomped around in circles a few more times before speaking again. "So much red paint, so much detailing, and who's gonna pay for it all?! Me, that's who! Always me."

Smokescreen and Caden exchanged a look, both of them barely suppressing laughter at the vain Con's tantrum. When Caden finally got control of his emotions, he spoke. "Knockout." He almost flinched at the murderous expression he gave him. "I know you're pissed. If someone gave me a whole lot of scratches, I'd be pissed too, but...who's to say you have to do it yourself?"

"Well who _else_ is gonna help now that Breakdown has curbside duty?"

Caden narrowed his eyes ever-so-slightly, filing that away for further investigation. "How about me?"

"What," both Cybertronians asked in unison.

Caden shrugged. "I'm good with a brush, and I have more than enough money to get you what you need. Why not?"

Knockout's red optics narrowed, perusing the human's face for any signs of deception. The Autobots may not be much for lying, but this boy had a reputation. "Well," he started uncertainly, "I suppose...that _might _be acceptable."

"Then let's go." Drake nodded to Smokescreen, who hesitantly transformed down into his damaged Lambo form and sped off, a very confused Knockout in tow. Thirty minutes later, they were entering a closed repair shop in Manassas after heading to the nearest car care center. Caden had picked up about ten different shades of red and yellow, all high quality, along with all the materials he would need to properly apply and buff the new coat. "Back up," he ordered Knockout, prompting him to wheel onto a hydraulic lift. Ten minutes later, half of Knockout's rear was done, along with his doors and hood. The main body was the least damaged, so he figured he'd save that for last.

"So," Caden said in the middle of application, "tell me something." The car snorted in response. "You don't seem like the conquering type, really. And it's pretty apparent that you don't particularly like Megatron, since he doesn't trust you and all. So, why stay with the Decepticons?"

A long pause lasted before he responded. "Look, when I first joined up, it was a do-what-you-want, take-back-Cybertron sort of thing. Not unlike your race's alternative lifestyle movement."

Caden raised his eyebrows to their max and stared at him incredulously. "I _sincerely _doubt that."

"Why? You humans did all sorts of strange and self-destructive things...still do."

"The difference being that hippies don't tote twenty-foot guns and commit genocide."

Knockout scoffed. "So, what? You think I participated in all that?"

"You stayed after the fact, knowing what they did."

"And?"

Caden scowled at him. "Passive admission is tantamount to active participation."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if you stayed for any reason other than duress, then you agree with what they did."

Knockout was silent a long time. "I hate human logic."

"And I hate lame-ass justifications." Caden deliberately laid down a stroke too hard, digging the metal edge of the applicator into his rear slightly. Knockout, surprisingly enough, didn't curse him out or respond in any way except a slight hiss.

"I'm not a bad mech," he said after a while. "Just made bad decisions."

"Doesn't excuse your continuation of them."

"You don't understand. Not sure how to relate this to you, but...yes, that's a good analogy."

"What?"

"Drug addicts. Their behavior is self-destructive and often criminal, and yet they continue to engage in their practices. Why?"

"Because it's familiar and they have a need that's being filled by it."

"Exactly."

Caden pressed his lips together and sighed as he buffed one of the last sections, thinking hard. "I'll admit, you've got a point there." He sighed again, stopping his work in contemplation. "Be honest though. Do you really prefer to stay with Megatron rather than join us, or heck even go neutral?"

Knockout was silent for a while. "You don't just 'leave.'"

"Why not? Hawk did. Dreadwing did."

"Yes, and both of them came within a glitch mouse of being scrapped."

"Hm. Point, but on the other hand, neither of them really decided to leave. They waited. They were loyal until Megatron betrayed them one way or another. Do you really want to do that?"

"Megatron has no reason to doubt my loyalty, and besides, I rarely see battle these days, just medical work."

Caden chuckled. "I think I might have something to do with that."

"Yes...I must admit, I rather admire the way you thoroughly scrapped Scalpel. Even _I'm_ appalled at some of the things he did. Little glitch deserved it, in my opinion."

"See? That's my point. If you can't even trust your own team, can't respect them, then what business do you have being allies?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you."

Both were silent until Caden finished and stepped back, observing his handiwork. Smokescreen whistled in compliment as Caden raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement. Knockout drove in front of a large nearby mirror, then transformed after getting a good look at himself. His red paint was bright and metallic with an orange and yellow flame pattern on his doors. It looked real, lifelike, and Knockout had to admit, the human did one hell of a job.

"You know," he said, smiling, "for a fleshie—" he turned to face Caden, "—you're not half bad."

Caden crossed his arms. "As a painter or a person?"

The Con shrugged and smiled wider. "If you're so perceptive, _you_ figure it out."

He transformed down into his Ferrari form and started for the exit door when Caden called to him. "Whatever it's worth, for a Con, you're not that evil."

Knockout simply snorted before speeding off into the night.

…

20 minutes later

11:34 PM

Sudley, VA

Caden and Smokescreen wheeled into the driveway of his house almost sluggishly, the events of the night having left them both tired and sore. Drake was looking forward to the one-on-one treatment from his gorgeous girlfriend, but had thanks to give.

"Hey Smoke," he said, climbing out of his "cockpit," "thanks for…well, for everything. Even if I don't understand why Hawk chose to leave you here instead of staying himself, I'm glad he did."

"Same. Kinda weird, that was."

"What, with Knockout?"

"Yeah."

Cade shrugged. "Yeah, a little. I guess it'd be worse for an Autobot veteran. They've been fighting each other so long, I don't doubt that some, if not most of them would be hard-pressed not to just kill the other guy and be done with it. If there's gonna be a permanent solution to this war, though, you gotta find an avenue into the other faction, even if it is just one Con at a time."

Smokescreen laughed. "Look at you, thinkin' like a diplomat."

Caden raised an eyebrow at him. "It's not diplomatic, it's tactical. Basic psychology."

"Whatever you say, partner."

"I only have one partner, and he's currently absent."

"Guess that makes me the sub."

Caden quirked a smile. "Hell of a sub."

"Thank you very much. I'll be here all week."

The 20-year-old laughed before walking inside the house, leaving Smokescreen to recharge in the garage.

…

10 minutes later

Kara hummed into his neck as her delicate fingers caressed his shoulders, their torsos flush with each other in a tight embrace. Caden was tired, sore, and still recovering, and yet he still had the strength to be in control of their intense makeout sessions. It was a trait that she actually admired, contrary to the majority of do-it-yourself sections in her personality. He could take control of their relationship, of her, and she'd be okay with that. She trusted him implicitly, and he never gave her a reason to doubt the placement of her trust. Now, his lips were brushing her cheek and gliding down to her neck, the tip of his tongue slipping out every so often to send a shot of electricity up her spine. His hands held her waist, curled around each other to keep her pressed against him.

"Mmm...Cade," she breathed out.

"Yes," he whispered back.

"I…" She didn't continue, as her mouth suddenly found itself covered by his, their tongues matching pace and passion as their hands intertwined. When they finally broke the kiss, they were both panting and breathless.

"You were saying," he asked coyly, a mocking smirk on his face.

"Mmm shut up," she groaned out, wrapping her arms around his neck and embracing him tightly, her right leg bending at his side, her heel hooking around his hip. Her hands at his sides stopped whatever he had planned next, her fingers barely glancing over his skin yet causing massive neural responses.

"Kara," he managed.

"Yes," she asked, mirroring his tone and expression from earlier.

"Too much…"

"What's that?"

He groaned slightly and gently pushed her hands away, panting hard, then wrapping his arms around her midsection and embracing her tightly. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered out his next words. "I love you."

She smiled warmly against his cheek, her lips curled upward ever-so-slightly, yet her eyes projecting happiness, an expression she'd picked up from him. "I love you too."

"Always?"

She looked him in the eyes and kissed him deeply, longingly, breaking it ten seconds later. "Always."

…

1 week later

9:35 PM

Caden's black SUV cooled down after turning off, its former occupants giggling and walking into the house arm-in-arm. The rumble of a familiar engine stopped the man in his tracks, a smile coming to his face.

"I'll be right behind you," he told Kara, who smiled knowingly and nodded before leaving them alone together. Caden strode up to the familiar gray-and-silver Lamborghini Embolado and stood in front of him, hands in his pockets as he stared at him intently. "Where ya been?"

Only the rumble of the engine answered him for a few seconds. "Out. Decided to take a road trip. Clear my processor."

Caden nodded in understanding, smiling slightly. "Gotcha. You okay?"

"Sort of."

Drake's eyes narrowed to slits. "You're blaming yourself again."

Hawk vented hard. "You know me only too well. I...I know you don't blame me, but...it just felt like something Crow would do."

The man smiled. He was distancing himself from his previous life by referring to that entity in the third person, no longer associating himself with it. If he could stop feeling like just the next iteration of Crow, then he could let go of his guilt and finally move on. "Stand up."

Hawk hesitated for a moment before transforming and standing up straight. "Okay?"

"Draw the Sword of Primus."

Hawk's optics widened as realization hit him and he complied, pulling the weapon out of his subspace and watching in almost absent interest as it expanded into its longsword form and heated in his grip.

"You see? It recognizes you. You're not Crow."

The Bot pressed his lips together and nodded, his optics locked on the sword as it cooled down and collapsed before returning to his subspace. "I see. Thank you, Caden."

He smiled and nodded. "You're welcome." Caden gave a light kick to Hawk's metal shin. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have quite a bit of time to make up for with a particularly gorgeous brunette."

Hawk raised his hands in surrender. "I'm stayin' out here then. And shutting off my audios."

"Oh come on," Caden pouted, already heading for the door, "we are _so_ not that loud."

"Get the hearing of a Cybertronian and say that."

Caden rolled his eyes and grinned. "Good night, Hawk."

"Good night."

Two hours later, as Caden lay in his bedroom holding the woman he loved, his face nuzzling her neck and hair as they drifted off together, he thought of all the blessings he had. He had a world, a home that wasn't in danger of perishing. He had a woman, _his _woman, his soulmate. He had a brother, not in blood, but in bond. He had a family, _his _family, and from that moment on, Caden swore that he would die before letting it be torn apart. He knew they all felt the same.

* * *

AN: Not much to say about this chapter except that I wanted to show something akin to the Christmas Truce of World War I with regard to the Cybertronians. Some of you might disagree, but Knockout never struck me as evil, just a Con who wanted to survive and look good while he's at it. I also wanted to push Hawk away from his self-doubt once and for all and show his moral compass in action.

Next chapter...you know what? I'm not giving you any previews. You'll just have to wait.

As always, please review and recommend.


	26. Dawn to Dusk

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

* * *

Two hours later, as Caden lay in his bedroom holding the woman he loved, his face nuzzling her neck and hair as they drifted off together, he thought of all the blessings he had. He had a world, a home that wasn't in danger of perishing. He had a woman, _his _woman, his soulmate. He had a brother, not in blood, but in bond. He had a family, _his _family, and from that moment on, Caden swore that he would die before letting it be torn apart. He knew they all felt the same.

…

30 minutes later

Unknown location

"So, this man, does he have a name?"

"It's not like he gave me a business card when he broke my arm and almost strangled me to death."

"Yes, he has a tendency to do that." A long pause came before the speaker continued. "You were a fool to take him on alone."

"I didn't know who he was, man. How could I have known that?"

"You couldn't. Which is why you've come to me. Wiser decision. So you say he's stolen your woman?"

"Sure looked that way. Bastard filled her head with lies and poisoned her against me."

"I see...yes, I should definitely be able to help you, Mr...what was your name again?"

"Dusk. Kevin Dusk."

…

3 weeks later

7:15 AM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 10 months after the death of the Fallen

"Caden, we've got contact!"

Drake ran from the living room into the garage, staring at Hawk's holoform as the Bot's expression gave him a good idea of the critical state of the situation. "What kind?"

"Not sure, but it's close and coming fast."

Caden nodded to him and ran back into the house, sprinting for the armory. "Kara," he called, "suit up!" He felt her sidle up next to him, slipping on a skintight one-piece nanofiber suit over her underwear, slightly distracting her partner as he gave her body a long glance before clipping on his fully loaded Daggertail.

"Hey," she said, patting his shoulder with the back of her hand. When he turned to her, she put a compact pistol into his left hand. "It's my own design."

His eyes perused the weapon, fingers sliding over its edges and sections, pulling back the slide and spying a familiar round in the chamber. "Trilithium high-explosive?"

She smiled. "Of course."

"So basically it's a demolition pistol."

Kara pouted slightly. "S'not all it can do. Hit the button next to the slide release."

He did so and watched as a miniature holoprojector emitted a series of pseudo-screens on the side of the weapon's barrel. "Is that a...reticle?"

She grinned. "Yep. Load this baby up with either the trilithium rounds or your standard AP, and it'll track your trajectory and approximate range." Kara frowned at the way he almost winced. "What?"

"It's nothing."

Her dark eyes stared at him hard. "Is it your shoulder?"

His head snapped to her. "What? No, no. No pain. It's just...really? Do you have that little faith in my skills?"

She rolled her eyes and strapped a small throwing knife to the inside of her right boot. "It's not about that. I know you can hit a target from half a mile away with a rusty .22 pistol. I just…" She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I just thought it was a cool addition."

Caden turned it over in his hand, turning the holo-targeting system on and off, and smiled. "Definitely." A clip on the right side of the pistol allowed him to fasten it to the left side of his belt. "Finally, I've got a weight balance."

"Gonna throw you off," Kara asked, getting to her feet.

He shrugged. "Nah, not by much. I'm adaptable, remember?"

"Better than anyone," she purred.

He gave out a chuckling sigh as he pushed past her to get downstairs. When they both mounted up into Hawk, it became apparent that the Autobot felt the same way he did.

"So, are you two gonna be able to keep your hands off each other long enough to lay hands on the enemy?"

"If there is one," she said, "sure. Afterward though..." Her voice trailed off as she gave Caden a near-lecherous look that almost made Hawk want to gag. Almost. If it were his femme…

The Bot shook himself out of that train of thought, though his energon settled as he came to the realization that he'd be making up for lost time in their position too...although in their position, he'd already have been sparkmated, or married, and interfacing by now. A million years of war were enough to teach him both the dangers and advantages of waiting. Waiting for the right time to face Starmind again had him waiting for a day that never came. They had their day now, had utterly minuscule lifespans compared to him, and yet they waited. _Human logic, _he thought, shaking his head internally. _Or the lack thereof. _They clearly loved each other, were quite happy together, and could most definitely spend the rest of their lives together, if the way they were so often joined at the hip was any indication.

He, for one, wished they would just get it over with and get married. He had even cornered Caden about it in one of those rare moments alone in recent memory.

_"Why don't you just propose to that girl already,"_ he'd asked.

Caden had given him a stern look, then turned away and kicked at the floor absently._ "Too dangerous."_

_"Pardon the language, but, bullshit."_

_"No, Hawk, I mean it. It's too dangerous. If we...if we marry, and then...you know, do what goes with marriage...and she gets pregnant…"_

His voice had trailed off, but he didn't need to finish the sentence for Hawk to get his meaning._ "She'd be vulnerable."_

Caden's dark eyes had intensely locked with his._ "We both would, and even if nothing bad happened, I refuse to bring a child into a world with such conflict. It wouldn't be fair."_

_"To you two or the child?"_

Caden stayed silent a long time. _"Both."_

That had been barely two weeks ago, and Hawk had no intention of continuing the discussion any time soon. He understood the boy—man's reasons, even if he didn't necessarily agree with them. _Still have to get used to thinking of him as a man._ Although, in Cybertronian years, he would never be much more than a sparkling, Caden was far more mature than many Bots a thousand times his age, and deserved to be treated as such.

"So where exactly is this 'contact'?"

The question snapped Hawk out of his thoughts. "Nokesville. Farm country."

…

15 minutes later

7:35 AM

Nokesville, VA

"Get cover!"

Caden eagerly obeyed, barely ducking under plasma fire coming from the burning barn. Their "contact," singular, had actually turned out to be "contacts," three of them, and by far, they were some of the meanest, nastiest-looking Decepticons he'd ever laid eyes on. Even Hawk was visibly shaken by their appearance, although the man reasoned that was probably because he recognized them. Drake had only gotten a good look at two of the three, and they looked unlike any Cybertronian he'd ever come across: more bestial than the Dreads, and definitely more bloodthirsty. They were each roughly 24 to 25 feet tall and a dull gray, one with dark gold "antennae" and reversed leg joints like a wolf, the other with several claw-like appendages sticking out of his chassis from his arms, shoulders, and back. The back ones almost looked like wings.

No matter their appearance, they all had significant amounts of firepower. The clawed one was firing some sort of electric cannon at the Autobots and NEST personnel that had engaged, its barrel emitting arcs of concentrated lightning that left charred and overloaded matter wherever they touched. Ironhide had been struck twice, and even his tough armor was glowing and sliced in some places. Thankfully, the humans had, by and large, kept their distance, and Caden was no exception this time. It was his first true combat op in two months-the fight with Knockout didn't count-and frankly, he was feeling out of sorts. Drake figured it was just a matter of time before he would get back into the swing of things and resume his "peak-human ass-kickery," as Liz had so aptly coined it when they were dating.

Right now, he was taking potshots at the clawed Decepticon, targeting his elbow joints with high-velocity rounds and throwing his aim off. Since his weapons seemed to rely on disruptions in ambient electrical charge, his range was limited, so unless his red optics could turn humans to stone, the murderous looks he was throwing Caden's way would stay just that.

"Put some protective fire on the west side!" the human yelled.

"On it!" Ironhide shouted back, rolling under a missile from the third Con to blanket the west section of the barn with high-explosive shots from his cannons. The choppy automatic fire of his guns sent dozens of plasma rounds and missiles toward the enemy, but the roar that answered his efforts was not one of pain, but of rage.

"Oh scrap," Hawk breathed out.

The sounds of transformation came from the barn, and all present watched in horror as a gigantic metal insect ascended from the ruined building, resembling something out of an entomophobe's worst nightmare. A large, flying beetle rose out of the smoke, its metal exoskeleton shifting to reveal over a half dozen very large weapon barrels. If beetles could look angry, this one was completely blacked-out. Literal fire and high-heat explosions followed the gaze of the massive Decepticon, along with the angle of those barrels. Two more transformation sounds, each a little different from the first, were heard from the barn, and another flyer ascended, this one about two-thirds the size of the first, with six legs, a massive abdomen, and gigantic pincers. Both of their wings hummed loudly and threateningly as they flew toward the enemy, their new airborne status giving them immediate advantage and forcing NEST and the Autobots to retreat.

The third Decepticon seemed to be ground-based, though that didn't make him any less frightening in his alternate form. This one resembled a very evil-looking cricket with the head of a bee, four short front legs, and two much longer rear ones. And he was charging. Bullets ricocheted off the Con's tough armor as he leapt over the first line of NEST vehicles, the claws on his back legs slashing their doors to shreds as he landed. He twisted in a spiral, knocking vehicles and soldiers across the semi-green field and hissing at the lot of them. When Hawk showed up with the Sword of Primus, the two appendages on his back hummed to life, and Caden realized darkly that they were wings. The three Decepticons all rose into the air, intermittent fire from all present following in their wake until they were out of range.

When the smoke started to settle and everyone started breathing again, Caden turned to his still-masked guardian and checked behind him to see Kara digging herself out of the rubble of an overturned NEST jeep. "What the hell was that," he asked the Autobot.

"Those," Ironhide answered, "were Insecticons."

Caden raised both eyebrows in tandem with the newly promoted Colonel Lennox, who spoke up to his friend. "Insecticons? Seriously?"

'Hide nodded. "Seriously. Very ugly, very nasty. Those three are the only ones who left Cybertron with the Decepticons."

"Why?"

"Because the rest of them are a bunch of Pit-bound slaggers," Hawk cut in. "Not intelligent or evolved enough to even transform, much less think beyond the next fight."

"But they're really good in a fight," Caden said, "so Megatron keeps them around?"

Hawk nodded with a roll of his optics, finally retracting his mask. "They're dumb muscle, plain and simple."

"Not those three though."

Hawk and Ironhide shared a look before the former responded. "Not _as_ dumb, maybe, but...they're definitely a lot more of a threat than their less evolved brothers."

"So...them being here is...bad, right?"

"Very."

"Well, we've got two dead Cons, a psychotic teleporter, an assassin-slash-scientist, and three professional saboteurs trying to kill us." Caden shrugged, then broke into a grin and half-hysterical laughter. "What're a few beetle robots gonna do?"

Though he didn't much care, when he looked around, Caden noticed that he was the only one laughing.

…

1 hour later

8:42 AM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Caden absently spun his knife on the table like a top, the tip digging slightly into the metal and anchoring it as it twirled in his hand. His eyes drifted to the table's other occupants, Lennox, Kara, and Mearing, occasionally glancing at his semi-brooding guardian off in the opposite corner of the room.

"Welp," he said flippantly after another minute of silence, "I'm bored."

"Sorry we're less than entertaining," Mearing mocked.

"I'm getting breakfast," he stated, snatching up his knife and returning it to its sheath.

Kara looked at him strangely. "You already had it."

"And now I'm having it again." Without another word, he strode out of the ops center, where the others were staying, waiting for news, and went to the mess hall. Within the last hour, several semi-encrypted communications were intercepted by Keystone analysts under the command of Acting Director Korde and forwarded to Kara. She had immediately shown them to Caden and Mearing, who both instantly recognized the references to the underground nuclear plant in DC. Since then, NEST had been on high alert, suspecting another Talon-Decepticon joint operation in the works, their analysts working overtime to verify the threat. If such a communique was broadcast with any less security than top-notch, then, as Mearing had learned, Carmine most likely _wanted_ someone to find it.

Caden shoveled the last of his mashed potatoes into his mouth, wondering at his sudden appetite. It had been bugging him, no pun intended, since the Insecticons, who they had all now been briefed on, had shown themselves. He was suddenly so very hungry...and giddy. He was never giddy after a life-and-death situation. Well, rarely anyway.

"Hey," someone called from behind him.

He turned and cracked a half-smile. "Hey yourself." Caden dropped his tray off in the cleaning rack and leaned back against a nearby wall, crossing his arms.

"So," Lennox said, mirroring his posture, "you believe this? You really think they'll try again?"

"Well, since leveraging me didn't work, Carmine's gotta have some sort of comeback. He's a sore loser, and in his case, that's often a very, very bad thing for the winners."

"But the same plan as before? It's too obvious."

"I agree. It doesn't feel right. Doesn't feel like...him."

Lennox's eyes narrowed. "What if…nah."

Caden snapped to him. "What?"

"What if it's not him? What if it's...Megatron?"

An expression of genuine fear passed over his face briefly before his calm mask fell back into place. "Possible. He's definitely homicidal enough to do it, and if he backs Carmine fully…" His eyes widened in horror. "Oh damn, you might be right." Caden strode toward the ops center faster than the colonel could keep up, pushing past a few soldiers who didn't clear out fast enough and laying his hands on the metal table with a slight thump. "Energon detectors."

Mearing met his crazed gaze. "What?"

"Have there been any spikes on our energon detectors?"

"Not that I'm…" Her voice trailed off as her fingers danced over a tablet. "Crap."

"What?"

"There's an unknown energon signature near the Lincoln Memorial."

Caden's eyes widened. "They're already here?"

One look at Hawk was all the Bot needed. Hawk immediately fell into a battle transformation, forming his Lamborghini alt mode within 1.5 seconds. Caden leapt in, followed closely by Kara, as Lennox ran for Ironhide. Bumblebee, Arcee, Chromia, Ratchet, Dino, Sideswipe, and Optimus transformed into their vehicle modes, interspersing themselves among the NEST convoy that rolled out of the base less than two minutes later. Since Caden had been off rescuing the girls the first time the plant was discovered, he had no idea what to expect. Certainly not the quaint, suburban environment next to the Georgetown Reservoir.

"No. Way."

"Way," Arcee transmitted to Caden through Hawk.

"Where did all of them hide last time?"

"They didn't. Set up barriers and barricades in an all-out assault. A siege, if you will."

"Distraction, more like."

"Well it was one expensive-and destructive-distraction."

Caden, Hawk, and Kara wheeled onto the concrete walkway surrounding the reservoir, rolling to a stop as the others fell in behind, the NEST vehicles making a staggered line between the reservoir and the nearby forest on its west side, the firing line for the Decepticons in their previous engagement. The gaps in their ranks were filled with Autobots. When the couple dismounted from their ride, Hawk transformed and drew his fusion cannon casually, half-disassembling it and performing routine maintenance. Optimus and Lennox had set up a command-and-control center in a copse of trees, the trailer easily concealed next to Prime's own mobile armory. Caden gave Kara a nod and headed there to coordinate with the NEST commander.

"What's the sitch?"

Both Lennox and Prime, who was using his holoform, arched an eyebrow at his uncharacteristic use of slang. "The energon signature from before has vanished," Optimus said. "None of our sensors are responding, however, so it may be some sort of jamming field."

"They can do that?"

"It's not easy," Ratchet said from behind him, "but it's possible. Shockwave could figure out a way, but he would have to apply either a blanket field over a tightly clustered group of Cons or individual jammers, which would require use of a small strike force instead of an assault group."

"We're setting up mobile energon detectors around the perimeter," Lennox added. "Hopefully that'll give us enough of an early warning to counter them."

Caden nodded in agreement. "All we have to do now is wait."

And wait they did. By ten o'clock, the Autobots, who were hidden among the trees, were checking their paint for scratches and scuffs. By eleven, NEST personnel were getting restless, as was Smokescreen, who had been called in as well. By twelve, Ironhide's patience was wearing thin. By one, Caden's patience was wearing thin. By two, Optimus was starting to shuffle about. When three o'clock and the intense summer sun rolled around in full, Caden leapt out of Hawk and started pacing the perimeter. All this inaction was giving him an ulcer...and a nagging feeling that they were missing something. He found Lennox in a state not much better, keeping under the shade and checking his weapons for the umpteenth time.

"Hey," he called to the colonel. Lennox only answered him with a nod, a thin sheen of sweat on his face and exposed skin. "Gotta love this Southern weather." Will grunted in agreement. Caden's eyes swept over the green of the forest, looking for anything out of place, as he had for the last six hours, but with the same result: nothing. "Something's wrong," he said suddenly, that pit in his gut reaching a fever pitch. "Megatron isn't known for subtlety in his assaults, and we haven't had anyone come or go." Then it hit him. "Carmine." His eyes widened. "Oh hell."

"What," Lennox asked, his voice panicky, as time had taught him to be afraid whenever Caden said that.

"Send your men in a sweep of the forest. Four-man teams. Oh, _idiot_. How could I not have seen this coming?"

"Caden, _what_?"

"Carmine's men are infiltrating this place, if they haven't already. _That's_ why we haven't gotten any hits on our energon scanners. They've probably spent the last six hours spying on us from the bush, reconning our lines, getting an estimate of our forces." Caden shook his head. "Scratch that, don't send your men out. Carmine will know that I'd figure out his play eventually, and if I know him, he'll have laid traps all over the forest."

"Then how do we smoke them out?"

Caden narrowed his eyes. "I've got an idea." He ran over to Ironhide, who was checking out his cannons yet again. "'Hide!"

The Bot turned to face him with a grunt.

"Your cannons, do they still have that electric wave thing?"

Ironhide arched an eyebrow. "It's called an electron displacement wave."

Cade shook his head rapidly. "Whatever. I need you to prime both of them for that and point them into the forest."

By now, the Autobots, and Optimus in particular, were starting to notice his rapid movements and wonder at his tactics.

"Lennox, get ready to send your teams out."

"But you told me—"

"I know what I said, just trust me." Caden watched as Ironhide and Lennox both followed his plan, assembling squads and firepower as one. "Okay, widest spread and farthest range possible." Ironhide complied. "Three, two, one, go."

Two waves of intense static electricity arced from the cannons' barrels into the trees, scattering loose leaves and slightly singeing foliage. The other result was far more...explosive. About a dozen or more mines went off almost at once as the wave prematurely triggered Talon's traps. The disoriented screams of the men who planted them followed. NEST soldiers moved in on Lennox's command, the colonel having caught on to Caden's plan as they were being assembled. Gunfire rang out fifteen seconds into the search, and frenzied comm. bursts were heard from engaging teams. To humans who took on giant robots, the mercs were almost laughable...at a glance. Carmine's company had certainly started bringing its A-game, if the sudden reports of injuries among the soldiers were any indication.

Caden's teeth clenched. He knew it was just a matter of time before Megatron realized that his human ally's trap had failed and sent in his own troops. Giving Kara an intense look, they nodded to each other and charged into the forest, safeties switching off on their weapons as they joined the fray.

…

10 minutes later

3:15 PM

It was guerilla warfare in the nation's capital. And nobody even knew it was happening except those involved. Mearing had quite wisely evacuated the surrounding area, citing a potential fuel leak that got everyone up and out of there. _Fuel leak,_ Caden thought with a cynical smirk. _Right. Radioactive fuel, maybe. _Caden spun around and fired a three-shot burst into another merc, back-to-back with Kara as they swept their section of the forest. Things were starting to calm down considerably. He had to guess that Carmine was finally realizing his mistake and wisely pulling his men back. It wasn't over.

A burst of alien rounds cut down two NEST soldiers from the brush, causing both Kara and Caden to spin toward the source and scramble for cover as two Pretenders leapt from the foliage and started shooting in all directions. The NEST personnel adapted quickly, but not quickly enough for some. Another corporal was killed and two more injured before a concerted salvo of firepower put the two alien infiltrators down. And then there was that humming again. Caden's eyes widened.

"Fall back!" he yelled to those present, knowing what was coming.

A moment or two later, half the trees were on fire from an airborne salvo by Hardshell, the largest of the Insecticons. Thankfully, most of the soldiers accompanying Caden had already gotten well away from the drop zone and retreated behind a wall of living metal. Ironhide was opening up with his cannons, and Bumblebee was targeting the enemy with his shoulder-mounted rocket launchers. Though nowhere near as powerful as the Insecticon individually, the collective firepower of the Autobots forced Hardshell to retreat as his two brothers revealed themselves. Sharpshot, the clawed Decepticon, flew in close and managed to get a wide spread of electrical discharge off. Ironhide and Optimus dashed between him and the humans, taking the brunt of the blast before collectively returning fire. The Con was heavily damaged by the time he managed to get to a minimum safe distance, effectively bugging out.

Despite the seriousness of their situation, Caden smiled at that unintentional pun even as he joined the others in their anti-air fire. And then the ground shook. Four Decepticon protoforms stormed out of the woods, throwing down canisters that transformed into the barricades Arcee mentioned earlier and ducking behind them. Vehicons followed not far behind, automatic fire from their assault rifles slicing through the air and into heavy armor and dirt. Optimus pulled a shield from his armory, firing an ion blaster in its primary mode, suppressing the enemy as Ironhide and Bumblebee laid down blanketing fire on them. Caden found Hawk tangled in close quarters with two protoforms, one of them in a headlock as he back-kicked another in the face. The Con he was holding had his removed a few moments later when a Cybertanium blade severed his head.

Sideswipe and Arcee skated around the barricades, keeping their speed as high as possible to avoid gunfire as they laid into the Decepticons, Sides with his new explosive blaster, Arcee with an energon repeater. The Cons returned fire and shouted in rough Cybertronian, calling for reinforcements. Missiles struck the two fighters' paths, the shockwaves bowling them over and leaving them vulnerable. Hawk sped toward them in vehicle mode, transforming and throwing one of his blades into the chest of a nearby Vehicon as he drew the Sword of Primus in one hand, his fusion cannon coming out in the other. The two superweapons did an immense amount of damage, the Sword leaving red-hot slashes wherever it hit, the cannon leaving only spare parts in most cases.

It wasn't until more Seekers started dropping in that he and the other two had to pull back. Optimus withdrew from the front, heading back toward his armory as the retreating Autobots filled in the gap caused by his absence. Hawk looked around hurriedly, finding Caden under cover and returning fire with his Daggertail. He couldn't be sure, as he'd been too busy to really keep track, but Hawk could've sworn that his partner had claimed at least two Decepticon kills in this fight alone. Turning his attention back to the battle, he saw a familiar vehicle mode incoming, shifting to Stealth Force mode and firing its minigun rapidly, a high-powered shot from its other weapon causing a shockwave that knocked down half the human soldiers nearby and left a considerable crater.

Hawk rolled under a missile from above, charging toward the new Decepticon and snapping both blades out of subspace as it transformed into Sideways and tackled him. The two assassins grappled on the ground, each trying to find leverage over the other until Hawk got the upper hand and pinned him to the ground in an armbar. His victory was short-lived, as a concentrated arc of electricity smacked into him from behind. He yelled in pain as Sideways threw him off and buzz-sawed his shoulder, clipping off a sizeable amount of armor. Sharpshot transformed into his bipedal mode and landed not far away, coming toward the close-quarters specialist with murderous intent, his claws expanding and forming cruel-looking, jagged blades about 8 feet long each. Hawk's blades started rotating at a breakneck speed as their saw functions kicked in.

Two blue plasma rounds smacked Sideways as he was about to fire his Nucleon rifle, throwing him off-balance and allowing Hawk to jump-kick him onto his back. More plasma hit the Insecticon, eliciting sharp, bestial hisses in response. Smokescreen rushed toward the three of them, guns blazing, leaping over Sharpshot's first slash and kneeing him in the face. Hawk took on Sideways up close, his saw-blades much more powerful than the left hand's, causing his opponent to withdraw almost constantly to avoid his attacks. Hawk had the upper hand, but Smokescreen was hopelessly outmatched. Not only was his opponent older and stronger than him, but he had weapons that were designed for close quarters. The rookie Bot took a slash to the chest, followed by a shallow stab to his knee that sent him falling over. Hawk drop-kicked Sideways, rolling as he fell toward the ground and realigning himself with a straight run to Sharpshot.

A gauss round tore through the Con's armor, causing him to spin around and slash his blades at neck level, missing Hawk's head by a foot. Hawk fell into a crouch, spinning clockwise in a trip-kick and dumping Sharpshot on his back. The enraged Insecticon roared at him and rolled away, transforming into his insect mode and firing his electric cannons at the both of them. Recoiling in pain, Hawk and Smokescreen tried to withdraw to a safe distance only to have Sharpshot follow them. A Stinger missile smacked into the Con's frame, nearly knocking him out of the sky, and both Autobots looked for its source. Lennox was already dropping the empty tube and moving on. The roar of jet engines drew their attention upward, Hawk keeping one optic on a withdrawing Sideways as Seekers began to fill the sky.

Two missiles knocked a cluster of them about with sudden turbulence, and two new sets of engines were heard by the ground troops. The F-35 alt mode of Jetfire and the blazing form of a jetpacked Optimus Prime streaked across the blue sky, firing weapons madly and scattering the enemy's air support. Another twenty seconds of fighting proved that NEST was getting a little of its own. A squadron of F-22s was approaching fast from the direction of Andrews Air Force Base. Suddenly, a flurried burst over comms. got Hawk's attention.

"They're past us! Skywarp got a group of Pretenders and mercs to the entrance!"

Hawk's spark skipped a beat.

"Copy that," Caden responded, "I'm on it. I need a team of close quarters specialists to meet me at the entrance, now!"

"Roger," Lennox said, "on their way."

A quick glance on Hawk's part revealed Caden, Kara, and about six soldiers entering the underground plant. Either they would succeed, and all would be well, or they wouldn't, and this place was about to become a nuclear wasteland.

…

"On your left!"

Caden spun on the soldier's advice, cutting down another merc with his Daggertail. He was running out of ammo, down to his last two mags. Was just a matter of time until all he had was his pistol. _Correction, _he thought, _pistols. _Deciding that his rifle was needed to take down Cons instead of humans, he slung it and drew his Sig. The custom pistol, which he'd taken to calling the CP—short for Continuum Pistol, after the TV show—was drawn as well, though he didn't turn on its special function. Kara noticed even as they swept toward the plant's evacuated control center.

"Why aren't you using...you know?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Because, it's in my left hand. Not gonna help me much if the targeting system is on the left side."

"But it won't be. Try it."

He obliged her, flicking an identical activation button that he noticed on the right side of the gun and powering up the holographic reticle. He pressed his lips together in appreciation. "Nice."

"Thought you'd think so."

They swept through the halls, finding basically no resistance until the last few doors before the control center. Automatic rounds struck the vest of a NEST soldier in front, and Caden yanked him back around a corner as the rest of the team opened fire. After confirming that his body armor had done its job, he drew both pistols, smirking slightly as the holo-reticle came to life and spinning around the corner to unload. At least, he unloaded one weapon. The CP, as he'd remembered, was currently loaded with high-explosive rounds, so he aimed for the tightest cluster of enemies and tagged the center one. Three mercs went down in one shot, two others following either to his Sig or the team. Kara was crouched behind a desk, pushing it over to get a flatbed of cover. Hot lead streaked across the tight room from all directions, forcing everyone to blind-fire or risk getting shot.

Caden spotted a Pretender heading deeper into the base, its human-sized metal body strutting toward a set of hazard-marked doors. Doors marked with the radiation symbol.

"Stop that one!" he yelled to his team. "It's heading for the core!"

Despite their best efforts, it was another five minutes before they were able to subdue the enemy and get to the doors. The Pretender, not fearing radiation, had gone right into the contaminated section of the plant. A few moments after they realized this, alarms started blaring all along the underground complex, and a mechanized voice started giving out evacuation warnings.

"Oh shit," one of the soldiers said from the back of the group, "they're trying to cause a meltdown!"

Cade turned toward the source of the voice and spotted a soldier with strawberry blonde hair standing near the back of the group. He had noticed that this man had been in the middle of a semi-protective formation created by the other soldiers from the beginning of their incursion. "And you know that how?"

"I'm a nuclear engineer, sir. Colonel Lennox sent me with the team."

Caden smiled. "Of course he did. So now what?"

The man looked around the decontamination room they were in and sighed in relief when he found what he was looking for. "There's one suit that hasn't been damaged." He punctuated this statement by pulling out a white radiation suit used by HAZMAT personnel.

Caden noticed that the other ones in the room were either punctured or shredded by gunfire before he and the engineer shared a look. "Go. We'll hold here." He raised his Daggertail and snapped a round into the chamber. "Give you as much time as we can."

He nodded as the helmet of the suit went down over his head. "I won't let you down, sir." The others stepped back as he went through the door, even though there was another hard-sealed room between them and the irradiated section.

Caden turned to the rest of the team and nodded. "Let's do this. Barricade up and find cover." The shuffling sounds of incoming enemies were heard from around a corner, and everyone obeyed Caden's orders in response. "Here they come!"

…

5 minutes later

"I found the problem," the engineer, Corporal Holdan, said over comms. He was kneeling by a ruptured coolant valve, trying to figure out a fix when he spotted a supply room not 20 feet away. Holdan leapt to his feet and sprinted for it, opening the door and looking inside to find exactly what he needed: an expanding, hard-sealing foam in a pressurized container. He scrambled out the door, the uncomfortable suit inhibiting his movements somewhat as he reached the leak and dispensed the container's contents. The patchjob was halfway done when he noticed movement in his peripheral vision. Spinning and reaching for his weapon, he got halfway there when a bullet shot through his right leg. Shrieking in pain, Holdan reached for his sidearm as the Pretender stood over him, grinning malevolently with its metal teeth and raising its weapon slowly.

A half dozen .45 caliber bullets took the Decepticon's head off as Holdan emptied half his clip into it, tossing the gun aside and crawling toward the leak, his bloody right hand grabbing the canister of foam and spraying it into the crack. "It—" he stuttered out, "—it's sealed. It's done."

As if in answer, the alarms stopped a few moments later, and he breathed out in relief.

"Roger that," Caden said triumphantly. "Come on back."

And with that, Corporal Holdan's smile vanished. His eyes looked down at his leg, blood seeping out of an open wound just above his right knee. "I...I can't, sir."

"What do you mean you can't?" Drake's voice was all business.

"The...Pretender, sir. He shot me in the leg."

…

"Dammit," Cade breathed out, realizing the situation. His suit was ruptured, and deadly amounts of radiation were leaking in. He would be dead in a matter of ten to twenty minutes, and there were no intact suits that anyone could use to get him out. He was a dead man walking. "Dammit." Caden leaned against a nearby wall, almost collapsing in despair. Holdan was a hero. He had just saved the entire DC-Metro area from nuclear fallout...and he was dead. "Just...hang on, soldier. Just…" His throat closed completely, and he shared a red-eyed look with Kara, who lay against a control panel, having been wounded in one of the attacks. And then the rage came. _Screw this._ He scowled and turned his gaze to the contaminated area. _No more, Carmine. No more dead heroes._

"Caden, wait!"

That was all Kara was able to get out before Caden hit the release on the door to the intermediate room, sealing it behind him before going into the irradiated section of the plant, no suit, no protection. He sprinted through one underground corridor after the next, following the limited updates that Holdan had given them during his search to get to him. When he saw fallen pieces of metal, he knew he had the right spot. His eyes swept over to the streaks of blood on the floor and found Holdan a second later. The man was stunned speechless as Caden slung his arm over his shoulder and started acting as a human crutch as they raced back to the decontamination room. When he hit the close button on the airlock, the room vented of radiation, and a cleansing mist covered them for a few moments before dissipating.

The door to the control room opened, revealing a gaping team of NEST soldiers and Kara, who looked like she was about to pass out between blood loss and the shock of her boyfriend running into a radioactive deathtrap and coming out alive. He stared at them all for a moment, Holdan's arm slung around his shoulders.

"Medic?"

…

3 hours later

6:50 PM

I-66 West

It was a heated battle after Caden and the others went underground, leaving Sideswipe injured and Smokescreen damaged trying to get to him. Optimus and Jetfire, along with their F-22 backup, had given the Seekers and Insecticons hell. Death from above was a very real possibility for the Vehicons and Combaticons that day, as the Seekers had been repelled within minutes. The last two and a half hours had been spent with Caden getting yelled at alternatingly by Ratchet and Kara, the former of which threw copious amounts of wrenches when he tried to leave the medbay, the latter throwing harsh glares from her hospital bed. He and Holdan had been treated for radiation poisoning, Caden getting off more easily due both to the lesser amount of time he spent exposed as well as his enhanced physiology. His cells kept regenerating faster than the radiation could affect them. A small miracle, where Ratchet was concerned.

Cade was in the middle of driving home in Hawk, already almost home, when he got a call.

"Caden, you're not gonna believe this."

He pressed his lips together. "Try me, Liz." _I don't like her tone._

"There are two cars in my driveway, an SUV and a very familiar green sedan."

A sharp feeling thrummed through him. "No."

"Yeah."

"You still have that Colt I gave you?"

"Yes."

Caden's teeth clenched as he scowled. "Then do what you have to and stay alive. I'm on my way."

"Got it."

The phone clicked off, and Caden tossed it onto the passenger seat, scowling hard.

"What was that all about?"

"Liz is in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

Drake almost growled out his words. "Kevin Dusk."

…

10 minutes later

7:01 PM

Manassas, VA

Liz fired another .45 caliber round from her chrome-plated M1911 at the SUV in her driveway, its occupants returning fire with semi-automatic weapons, shattering more glass in their attempts to suppress her and approach the house. She hadn't seen him, but the girl was sure that Kevin was with them. Suddenly, one of the mercs pulled out an automatic weapon and started spraying the house, causing her to crouch down as much as possible and snap a fresh magazine into her pistol. Two mercs were approaching the front door, weapons raised and ready as they prepared to kick in the front door. She headed for the back and darted out as they came in, running into the forest as the fading sunlight cast long shadows over the trees.

More gunshots rang out, scattering shattered leaves and branches as the enemy fired on her. She broke into a full sprint, rounding a bend in her personal forest trail and jumping behind a fallen tree to hide from them. She watched as two rushed past, a third staying behind to cover them and make sure she didn't double back. Liz grit her teeth. _Can't shoot him without alerting the rest. Can't take him on up close without getting hurt._ Vanishing seemed like the only viable option. That is, until a familiar hand grabbed her from behind, her mouth covered with his palm as he pulled her off her feet. She reacted instantly, screaming into the appendage as she drove an elbow back into his solar plexus. Kevin hit the deck almost instantly as all the wind rushed out of him and Liz started running, leaving her Colt behind in the struggle.

Two mercs came from her front, leveling weapons at her, and she froze, hands in the air, terrified. "Wait," she almost whimpered in fear, "just—"

Three gunshots rang out, two of them hitting the merc on her right and the third getting the attention of the one on her left. She immediately took advantage of this, closing the distance and grabbing his gun, pointing the barrel away from her and kicking him in the groin. More gunshots from behind. The automatic gunner sprayed bullets in Caden's direction, missing by fractions of an inch as he corkscrewed backward, presenting virtually a thin line of a target to the enemy. Dodging his salvo, Caden regained his footing and fired on the gunner, nicking his shoulder and forcing him behind cover. Liz picked up the gun of the man she'd just downed, pistol-whipping him with it and knocking him out before moving to flank the gunner. Caden sent two .45 caliber shots into the tree, and Liz did a double-take as the man behind it slumped to the ground.

She looked at him disbelievingly until she saw the smoke trail between him and the tree. _Magnetic accelerator. Figures._ They exchanged a look of mutual gratitude a split-second before he was shot.

"Caden!" she shrieked, running toward his falling body and stopping when several shots hit near her feet, causing her to drop her gun in fright and freeze. "You...bastard," she choked out, glaring tearfully at Kevin, who was grinning malevolently and striding toward her, holding her Colt on her one-handed.

"He took you away from me."

"No," she corrected sharply, "_you _did."

He shrugged. "What does it matter? If I can't have you—" he cocked the pistol, "—nobody will."

"You're insane," she breathed out, shaking slightly in fear.

"Maybe, but you won't live long enough to worry about that."

Before he could pull the trigger, the angry roar of a custom engine was heard from her house and coming closer as Caden's 20-foot guardian transformed and leapt into the clearing where they were, knocking over a tree as he deployed his blade widthwise, the wide edge of the Cybertanium between Liz and the incoming bullet. It ricocheted off as Hawk roared at him and slammed his fist right next to him, knocking him over and causing him to drop the gun.

"So you're the degenerate Kevin Dusk," Hawk snarled, glaring at him. "Liz, you okay?"

"Cade," she choked out, pointing to his limp form.

"You...dare…" Hawk scowled and gave Dusk a murderous look as he got to his feet and grinned insanely.

"Hawk," Liz said from his right, causing the Bot to face her, a similar look on her face. "Kill him."

Hawk turned back to Kevin and drew his gauss pistol, his spark thrumming with a perverse pleasure at the suddenly terrified expression on his face. "With pleasure."

A loud shot rang out in the forest, scaring off birds and any critters who hadn't been dispersed by the sounds of gunfire from before. A smoking trail went through Kevin Dusk's body, leaving a hole right through his heart. Hawk's pistol lowered, and he turned his optics left in tandem with Liz. The other end of the smoke trail stopped at Caden Drake's Sig Sauer, which was lowered to his side and holstered after the safety was activated, his left hand pressed to a bloody hole in his chest. He groaned as he went completely limp, falling into Hawk's outstretched hand as he holstered his gauss pistol and motioned to Liz. A long scan of Caden's body allowed Hawk to recycle his energon in peace.

"The bullet didn't hit anything critical, but we need to get him to a hospital."

"Right," Liz responded, nodding as Hawk transformed, laying him gently in his driver seat and letting her get into the passenger side.

Halfway to the nearest hospital, Caden spoke up. "You remember what I told you about not compromising your ideals?"

Hawk couldn't help but feel scolded, and responded defensively. "I remember. I don't remember letting murderers get away free being one of them."

Caden was silent.

…

2 hours later

9:10 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Ratchet really hadn't wanted to see Caden in his medbay twice in one day, but after a nosy Virginia policeman attempted to question the boy post-operation, he was glad that Drake had been transferred to a classified space, if only to protect the cop from Hawk's wrath. The Autobot was currently waiting with Liz and Smokescreen in the next room, Caden being temporarily bedridden due to his wounds. A familiar feminine shape came toward him from the shadows, sitting on a nearby chair and staring at him.

Caden grinned at her idiotically. "At least we get to spend the night together."

Kara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Not what I had in mind."

"Oh, I know," he purred seductively, further irritating his girlfriend.

"Cade, this isn't a joke. I almost lost you twice in one day."

He shrugged painfully and shook his head. "Nah. There really wasn't any danger with the radiation, and the bullet didn't hit anything important."

"Cade," she chided.

"I know," he laughed, the musical sound turning into a pained groan as his body rebelled. His dark eyes locked with hers as he mouthed, "Morphine."

Kara sighed and laughed, taking his outstretched hand gently and smiling at him sweetly. "Of course. You're always funnier when you're under the influence."

He pouted dramatically. "You mean I'm not always funny?"

"Come on, don't give me that face. It's looks weird on you."

He breathed in and out, becoming a little more serious. "I know. Trust me, I know."

She got his meaning. "Stay?"

Caden nodded and gripped her hand a little tighter. "Stay."

Kara smiled and pressed her lips to his gently, her free hand stroking his hair and neck, causing a small, contented sigh to leave his lips as she pulled away, his eyes drooping closed and head leaning to one side as he dropped off to sleep.

* * *

AN: Once again, sorry for the wait. You can probably assume that from now until around next June or so, I'll be updating about once a week. Even if I manage to get a chapter out faster than that, I'll probably hold back from releasing it until a week is up just to keep the rhythm.

Looks like Caden had to keep his promise after all. Wonder how Carmine's complete failure is going to go over with Megatron…

Regardless, as always, I hope you enjoyed this update and are looking forward to more. After next chapter, Dark of the Moon begins, and it's gonna be a lot. I'm sooo excited to see how you guys respond to the effects my characters are gonna have on the plot.

Please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: the Score - Bumblebee: Holdan's struggle and repairs, 2:44 - Caden's rescue

P.S.: Just so you know, when I mention Decepticons having assault rifles, think of the clawed guns that the protoforms have in Dark of the Moon


	27. Girls'Guys' Night Out (In)

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

* * *

He breathed in and out, becoming a little more serious. "I know. Trust me, I know."

She got his meaning. "Stay?"

Caden nodded and gripped her hand a little tighter. "Stay."

Kara smiled and pressed her lips to his gently, her free hand stroking his hair and neck, causing a small, contented sigh to leave his lips as she pulled away, his eyes drooping closed and head leaning to one side as he dropped off to sleep.

…

10 minutes later

9:25 PM

Unknown location

"Remind me again why you still breathe."

Carmine pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation, no fear in him whatsoever. "Lord Megatron—"

"Please," Megatron mocked, "enlighten me."

The human looked over at Sideways for support, but he just shrugged. Carmine sighed. "The mission was—"

"A failure? A disaster? An _insult_?"

"All of the above and more, my lord. This...was a very bad day."

"Then what are you still doing here?"

Carmine crossed his arms. "Need I remind you that this was a _joint _effort? I brought you the intel, but you decided to go ahead with the operation. There's plenty of blame to go around."

"That is hardly the point," Megatron growled. "What have you or your Talon Company truly brought to the table?"

"Other than your freedom?"

Megatron growled at him, baring his teeth.

"I don't gloat, Lord Megatron. I simply ask you not to ignore the truth and reconsider the circumstances before you make a mistake."

"The only thing I'm reconsidering, _insect_, is your usefulness to me alive." Megatron punctuated this by making a clawed fist next to the human.

Carmine's eyes narrowed. "Need I remind you that I was the one who broke you out of a prison that Caden Drake, a _human_, put you in? Or that my interference with Skywarp took Hawk out of commission for over a month? Or perhaps you'd like to explain to me how exactly you're going to coordinate efforts and intelligence-gathering among humans without drawing undue attention."

Megatron continued to scowl, but seemed to relax slightly. "Your point is well-made, but you should know by now, there will be a very high price expected of you should you fail me again."

Carmine's back stiffened slightly, but he managed to swallow his monumental pride and bow. "I understand, Lord Megatron."

…

1 month later

11:25 PM

Sudley, VA

1 year, 11 months after the death of the Fallen

"Cade!"

Caden shot upright in a cold sweat, screaming as he forced his breathing to slow and his eyes to find the source of the voice: his bedraggled, concerned girlfriend. "Wha—what just—?"

"You were thrashing around in your sleep," she responded quietly, staring at him intensely with her dark brown eyes, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You've been having nightmares again...and they're getting worse."

He took a few more gulping breaths, running his hands through his hair and leaning back as his heart rate slowed. "Yeah."

"How long?"

Caden gulped. "Two months."

Her eyes widened. "Megatron."

He rolled onto his side, facing away from her. "Yeah."

Her arms slipped around his bare chest, her forearms resting on his expanding and contracting abs, his diaphragm sucking in and pushing out air. She nuzzled his back and shoulders, breathing in deeply and blowing cool air over him. "You have no reason to be ashamed. You know that, right?"

"I know."

"Then turn around and come here."

He did so slowly, almost hesitantly. His reluctance melted almost instantly as his body melted into hers, her warmth and love permeating every fiber of him. A gentle groan of relief escaped his lips as he pressed against her. She smiled into his neck, kissing him there and humming against his skin. Their tight embrace lasted for a long time.

"What would I do without you?"

Kara bit her lower lip. "You don't want me to answer that question."

He groaned again, though more in grim remembrance, as his arms tightened around her even more. "No. I don't." _Because I already know the answer._ His hands rubbed her back gently, the fingers curling into the exposed skin at her shoulders and relishing its soft, silky feel. "You know something?"

"Mhm?"

"When all this is done and over with, I'm gonna take you somewhere quiet and secluded, and we're going to completely separate ourselves from the world, just for a little while. Say...a month, maybe. And we're not gonna do jack except relax and enjoy ourselves."

She raised an eyebrow. "How...enjoyable is this gonna be?"

He cracked a slight smile. "Haven't decided yet."

"Well," she said, exhaling as she shifted to put her torso on his, lying with her head on his ceiling-faced chest, "you better get it straight soon."

"Hmm? Why's that?"

She smiled up at him. "Because if you take too long, I might just have to dump you for a _real_ man."

He arched an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing as his lips twisted into a smirk. "Is that right? Why don't I show you how real I am?"

Kara giggled as her boyfriend lifted her a foot off the bed, then pushed her onto her back, his hands going to her sides and leaving slight tickling sensations wherever they glided. When his lips met hers, they stayed there for a good while, neither of them keeping track as they lost themselves in their kiss. When it finally broke, she nuzzled his neck and brought her lips to his ear.

"Mine," she whispered huskily.

His arms tightened around her. "Yes," he whispered back, nibbling her earlobe. "All yours. Always."

…

20 hours later

7:25 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"This is your idea of a party?"

Caden arched an eyebrow at his interrogator, one black-armored Ironhide, and put his hands on his hips. "If you're so knowledgeable about such matters, why don't _you _run this?"

'Hide huffed and disappeared from the hangar briefly, returning a few minutes later with two crates under his arms. He summarily dumped them in front of the crowd and nodded to the unbolted lids. Hawk and Smokescreen cautiously opened them, their optics widening to their max as they saw thirty-six cubes of high-grade energon.

"Sweet mother of Primus," Sideswipe breathed out. "Does Ratchet know you have this?"

"No," Ironhide snapped, pointing an accusing finger at the prankster, "and you're not going to tell him."

"'Course not, 'Hide," Smokescreen laughed, already reaching for the nearest cube. "None of us wants a wrench to the head."

The rest of the Bots followed his lead, grabbing the nearest cube and cracking it open, chugging half the container's contents down before recycling their energon to let it sink in.

"Wooooah," Hawk sighed out. "Now _that_ is some good high-grade."

"No kiddin'," Sides agreed. "Where'd you get this stuff?"

Ironhide smirked. "Wreckers."

A universal grumble of grudging respect came from all of them as they took another swig of the intoxicating fuel. Caden was busy grabbing two bottles of hard liquor from a container he'd packed in Hawk. He handed one to Lennox, who was there with the now-promoted Sergeant Holdan and Epps, who was visiting from Florida for the weekend. The four men poured shot glasses and knocked them together before downing their contents. Holdan, himself a light drinker, choked and gave out sputtering coughs, causing the men present to laugh, Lennox patting his back twice as he got through it.

"What the hell _is _that stuff," Holdan asked Caden, voice cracking.

Drake grinned. "Vodka. The real deal." He poured himself, Lennox, and Epps another round, hesitating over Holdan's glass. "You man enough to handle it?"

Holdan pursed his lips, his eyes drifting to each of the men that were looking at him expectantly before nodding. "Hit me."

They downed another round, and Holdan, expecting the extreme nature of the drink, recovered much more easily.

"See," Caden asked, grinning widely. "That wasn't so bad."

Holdan rolled his eyes and motioned for another drink, which Caden obliged.

They drank in silence, Bots and humans, for a good long while.

…

Kara's eyes narrowed at her opponent, a look of intense concentration coming to both their faces as the dark brown irises lowered to the row of cards in her hand. A small smirk came to her face as she signaled victory.

"You sure about this," Arcee asked her, her 5'8", brunette holoform looking at the girl suspiciously.

She smiled at her, her expression catlike. "Definitely."

Arcee gave her cards one last glance before sighing. "I fold."

"Yes!" Kara exclaimed, dragging a sizeable pile of chocolates to her side of the round table. "White chocolate," she sighed, picking up one of the wrapped delicacies. "My favorite."

"Double or nothing," Beth asked from her left, shuffling the cards and preparing to deal again.

"I'm in," Arcee said, lightly rapping her knuckles against the table.

"Same," Chromia intoned glumly. Kara noticed.

"Oh come on. What are you gonna use chocolates for anyway?"

Both Bots shared a look before shrugging.

"It's a pride thing, I guess," Arcee explained.

"Well," Liz replied, grinning, "if all else fails, you can always claim the 'my gun is bigger than yours' card."

Chromia raised an eyebrow and nodded. "True."

…

"So whose idea _was _this?"

Hawk turned and nodded toward Caden. "His."

"Actually," Drake corrected, "it was Kara's idea. She noticed…" He hesitated. "She noticed I was a little high-strung lately. Told me to loosen up a bit, 'go out with the guys' and all that." He took another drink, the action hiding his sudden lack of a smile. Hawk noticed, but decided not to comment.

"This isn't exactly 'out'," Ironhide pointed out.

"True, but it's the one place where you can actually be yourselves without fear of...you know, idiot civvies panicking."

"Well," Smokescreen started, a mischievous smile coming to his face, "not the _only_ place."

Caden looked at him annoyedly. "Come on, Smoke. I thought that was supposed to be our secret."

"What kind of 'secret'," Hawk interrogated sternly.

"Street racing," Smokescreen answered, crossing his arms. "Don't worry, no humans were harmed in the making of our street cred."

Hawk shook his head in a reprimanding manner. "You _do_ know that's a favorite activity of Knockout, don't you?"

"Uh," Smoke started, sharing a look with Caden. "Well, yeah, we uh...we kinda figured that out."

"Explain."

"We ran into him on the track," Caden answered. "Made him look bad. And...we may have scuffed his paint once or twice."

"But the real damage," Smoke cut in, "didn't happen until he tried to get even with us."

The optics of the three other mechs present widened. "And," Hawk asked.

"And," Caden responded, "I made it up to him. Repainted his whole chassis like new."

"And?"

"And we parted ways. Amicably, if I might add."

Hawk stared at him for a few moments, searching his eyes for any signs of deception. "I see...most…unusual."

"You're telling me? He's seriously juvenile. I swear, he was like a four-year-old whose favorite toy got its head temporarily pulled off."

A grumble of agreement sounded from each of the older Bots.

"So anyway...another round?"

…

"You're goin' down, girlie!"

Kara swung her racket again, knocking the tennis ball to the other side of the court, where Chromia intercepted it and popped it into the air for Liz, her partner, to spike over the net. Arcee leapt toward it as it fell toward its second bounce, smacking it at just the right angle to make it to the other side, bouncing twice before either of the opposition made it close.

"Oh come on!" Liz cried indignantly.

Arcee and Kara grinned at each other. "Can't touch this," the latter chanted in tune with the song as they high-fived each other.

Her holoform partner laughed and took up a position as the opposing team got ready to serve again. A tennis ball was smacked in their direction, and a diving strike by Arcee nailed it, sending it directly toward Kara's head. She was surprised, but not unprepared, and simply ducked, watching as the ball just cleared the net and bounced between Beth's legs into Chromia's racket. 'Cee winked at Kara, running toward the side of the net and leaping off the support pole, launching herself 20 feet into the air to smack the ball down into the enemy's court. Her twin was ready. The two Bots were, after a few more hits, engaging in an aerial, acrobatic form of tennis, much to Kara and Liz's boredom. The two girls exchanged a look and shrugged at each other after a while, sitting on the sidelines and giggling at how competitive they became.

By the time the Bots noticed that their partners were no longer participating, five minutes had passed, and they were huffing and shouting with competitive fury and frustration. The whole time was one gigantic volley, neither of them gaining the upper hand until Arcee pouted at Kara and missed the ball as it smacked into her face and sent her tumbling uncontrollably to the ground with the ball. The second bounce caused a groan of defeat to come from her pseudo-throat as Kara laughed and walked over to her, offering her a hand. She took it and scrambled to her feet, brushing her "clothes" off as she shot her twin a death glare. Chromia just smiled and winked.

…

Caden was doubled over in laughter, along with every one of the humans who were still sober, which was a total of him and Lennox, at their supremely unusual circumstances. The Autobots were drunk. As in near-blackout, vomiting-level, absolutely roaring drunk. And their human comrades were loving it.

"You tellin' me," Sides slurred out, "that you've never intafaced? No' even unce?"

Hawk gave him a semi-earnest look and shrugged. "Nope."

"Why no'?"

"Never had the right femme."

The former assassin was looking more and more mournful by the second, and Caden remembered very clearly that certain people had very specific exaggerated personalities when drunk. Sideswipe was the jokester, along with Smokescreen. Ironhide was strong, silent, and easily angered. It looked, sadly, like Hawk was the depressed type.

"Well, I did...once...but it didn't work out."

"Cheated on you?"

Hawk gave Sideswipe such a perfect, intensely furious death glare that the hardened front-liner actually recoiled in fear...along with Caden and anyone who could see his optics. Hawk glanced at a nearby reflective surface and immediately saw what they were all gawking at. For the first time in over 200,000 years...his optics were red. A shuddering vent escaped Hawk as he recoiled and set down his high-grade, putting a hand up to shield his optics from their view, forcing his emotions to calm.

_So, _Caden thought mournfully,_ he's the depressed, angry kind of drunk. _And it was no wonder. With everything that had happened in his life, everything he'd seen and done, it would stand to reason that while drunk, while his restrictions and inhibitions were as low as possible, his emotional control would start to slip.

When Hawk finally let his hand down, his optics had returned to their normal shining blue. "I," he stuttered out shakily, "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Sideswipe said cautiously. "I was being an aft anyway."

Everyone was silent a few more moments before Smokescreen spoke. "So what actually happened?"

Hawk scowled into his retrieved high-grade. "Megatron. Megatron happened." As he chugged down the last of his cube, everyone else took a drink of theirs, all of them silent. Hawk picked up another cube of high-grade and hesitated before popping the lid and holding it to his lips. "To the honored fallen," he said solemnly, his voice much sharper and more focused than before.

"To the honored fallen," they all responded in tandem before taking a long swig of their respective drinks.

…

"So what made you decide to come out of your shell," Liz asked.

Kara shrugged. "I don't know. The isolation, I guess. Didn't want to be alone with no one to truly call a friend except Caden."

The other girl smiled at her softly and raised her bottle to Kara's. They clinked together satisfyingly before being half-emptied. "What about you two?"

Arcee and Chromia, now in their 14-foot robot modes, exchanged a look and shrugged as they raised cubes of high-grade aptly stolen from Ironhide's secret stash, the specialist's sparkmate knowing exactly where to find it.

"We had nothing better to do," Arcee said honestly.

"Speak for yourself," Chromia purred, glancing pointedly toward the hangar where Ironhide's almost growling voice was heard.

'Cee rolled her optics. "Of course you would think _that's _more important."

"You would too if you were mated."

"Yeah? And who exactly would I do _that_ with?"

Chromia looked around, spotting a familiar yellow-and-black Bot striding past their view in another section of the base. She looked at Bumblebee pointedly.

Arcee gaped at her sister and sputtered a few times before answering. "Are you kidding me," she blurted out incredulously. "He's...he's a _youngling_. I'm practically twice his age, for Primus' sake!"

"And?"

"And?" Arcee straightened up to full height and put her hands on her hips. "I'm old enough to be his mother."

Chromia shrugged as if it were irrelevant, and then a thought occurred to her. "You could go out with Sideswipe. You two certainly work together well."

Arcee narrowed her eyes at her twin. "On the battlefield, maybe, but off? I can hardly _stand_ the slagger. I work well with Hawk in the field too, doesn't mean I want to sparkmate with him."

Kara raised an eyebrow at that. "Actually...woah."

"What," 'Cee and 'Mia asked in tandem.

"I could see that happening."

They both stared at her disbelievingly for a few moments before Chromia snorted. "I can't. The mech's a serious hard-case. Not at all sensitive enough."

"You're one to talk," Arcee scolded, crossing her arms.

"Ironhide's different."

"How exactly? For one, he's a Pit of a lot more trigger-happy than Hawk, and two, the only person he's really sensitive toward is you."

Chromia blinked a few times, considering her points, before shrugging. "Never really thought of it that way."

Liz was in the corner of the room, shaking with withheld laughter at the course of their conversation. The punchline was that she too could see the expert fighter pairing up with Hawk. She didn't expect the track that came next.

"On the other hand," Chromia said, "he _did_ try to kill you."

Kara did a double-take, as did Liz. "What?"

'Cee and 'Mia turned to them, the latter speaking. "You didn't know? Back when he was still a Decepticon-his _last_ mission as a Decepticon, in fact-he tried to kill Arcee."

Kara gaped at her, wondering how she'd never asked Hawk about his past. "When was this?"

"About 200,000 of your years ago."

Kara's eyes went even wider. "And you think he hasn't changed since then? Long time to be holding a grudge."

"_I'm _not," Arcee said, crossing her arms. "Can't speak for my dear twin, though. One thing we don't share, but she and her sparkmate do."

"_Munit tome'tayl,_" Kara muttered, "_skotah iisa._"

"What?"

The 20-year-old shook her head. "It's Mando'a. 'Long memory, short fuse.'"

"Ah," Arcee said with a nod. "Who on this planet speaks that?"

Kara smiled. "Geeks. Specifically Star Wars geeks."

Arcee arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

She giggled. "Really."

'Cee shook her head. "I swear I'll never understand humans."

"Better that way."

"Why?"

"Because if you ever do, you might start acting like us."

"Well, you haven't destroyed your planet yet, so how bad could it be?"

"Yet, Arcee. Yet."

…

2 hours later

10:20 PM

I-66 West

Hawk had stopped drinking high-grade after their toast, and purged his tanks to ensure some semblance of sobriety, but Caden still insisted on driving the three of them home. After all, his liver and cells could regenerate much faster than the others, and since he had drunk a proportionally equal amount of liquor, he was the best equipped to drive. Kara patted his shoulder from the passenger seat as she dropped off to sleep, and he smiled appreciatively in response, not taking his eyes off the road.

"So," Hawk grumbled, his voice coming through the radio, "what's got you so high-strung?"

Caden barely gave the speaker a glance. "I've...been having nightmares."

"And?"

"They're of Megatron."

Hawk was silent a long time. "Oh...well, if there's anyone nightmare-worthy, it's that Pit-bound fragger."

Caden gulped and nodded stiffly.

"Cade," Hawk said after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I'll never let him get to you again. You know that, right?"

"I know. I also know that if he ever really tries, you might not have a choice in the matter."

"Last I saw, he was missing his legs, so fat chance."

Caden shrugged. "Regardless. He's patient. Every bit as patient as you and me. If he has to, he'll wait years to take his revenge."

"Then we'll just have to kill him when he does. I'm sick of playing defense. Just not programmed for it."

Drake smiled. "I know. Me neither."

"Then promise me something."

"Anything, as long as it's possible."

"Promise me that no matter what happens, whatever fight we find ourselves in, we'll fight together."

Caden furrowed his eyebrows. "I hardly think that's even debatable. We're partners, remember?"

"And brothers, if you're to be believed."

"Hawk, when have I ever lied to you?"

He chuckled. "Never, _ner vod_."

"You're damn right." Cade did a double-take. "Wait, when did you start learning Mando'a?"

Hawk chuckled. "Let no one ever say you can't teach an old Bot new tricks."

Caden shook his head slowly, knowing very well that if anyone did say that, it wouldn't be him.

* * *

AN: Just a short filler chapter. Not much to say. I wanted to show you guys what Kara does in her free time, other than snuggle up to Cade...and possibly present the Arcee-expansion idea. I loved her character in Transformers Prime, and I'd very much like to be able to show that in this story or one following.

Next chapter, Dark of the Moon begins...finally. I really hope you guys like it, because there are some serious changes that'll be brought about by the presences of Hawk and Caden. Everything up to this point, everything they've suffered, endured, and fought for, has been in preparation for their greatest test. Will they pass or fail? I guess you'll find out.


	28. The Ark

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

Sharpshot

Hardshell

Kickback

* * *

"Promise me that no matter what happens, whatever fight we find ourselves in, we'll fight together."

Caden furrowed his eyebrows. "I hardly think that's even debatable. We're partners, remember?"

"And brothers, if you're to be believed."

"Hawk, when have I ever lied to you?"

He chuckled. "Never, _ner vod_."

"You're damn right." Cade did a double-take. "Wait, when did you start learning Mando'a?"

Hawk chuckled. "Let no one ever say you can't teach an old Bot new tricks."

Caden shook his head slowly, knowing very well that if anyone did say that, it wouldn't be him.

…

1 month later

9:10 AM local time

Chernobyl, Ukraine

2 years after the death of the Fallen

The ground shook in tandem with panicked screams over comms., alerting Optimus Prime to the desperate situation of his human allies. His Peterbilt engine roared to life, accelerating as fast as possible with his mobile armory in tow as he sped toward the battlefield. And then he saw it. The long, dilapidated warehouse on his right got a roof makeover as a gigantic metal worm crashed upward, then fell and took off another piece of the roof as Optimus kept up. He could hear Lennox and his men trying to scramble out of the underground portion of the irradiated power plant in the wake of the Driller's attack, almost wishing they wouldn't. This was an enemy far beyond any of them, at least while they were grounded.

As this thought ran through his processor, the road in front of him exploded in a storm of tendrils and claws, his speed too high to stop or turn in time. As a result, he slammed into the Driller's moving body nose-first, the movement sending him into the air as he transformed and yelled in pain at the impact, his mobile armory following suit as it usually did after a high impact. As they hit the ground in tandem, Optimus recovering with a roll, his battle mask snapped shut, hiding his furious scowl. Where the Driller was, Shockwave was...and he remembered what that slagger was responsible for. Optimus leapt to his feet and charged toward his deployed armory.

"Stay behind me!" he yelled to the emerging soldiers as he yanked a longsword and shield off the rack, sprinting toward the Driller's grotesque body.

"Optimus!" Lennox yelled from some distance away a moment before a metal tendril snaked out of the ground and just missed taking his head off as it re-burrowed.

Soldiers exchanged fire with the massive beast, its thickly armored body shrugging off the fire with ease. Optimus swung his sword repeatedly, deflecting one tendril after the next with his shield, clambering over the hilly terrain in an attempt to keep the creature off the humans. A tendril lunged at a cluster of human soldiers trying to get a shot from a hill, its front heading toward the center man with deadly intent. A blazing energon blade rose with Optimus as he spun mid-air, swinging the sword and cutting off the end of the appendage, saving the man.

"Get the heavy weapons!" someone shouted.

_It won't be enough,_ Optimus thought darkly as he fell, spotting the Driller coming to a stop, its chassis opening to lift something into the open air. A single red, hateful optic glared at him from a massive gray Decepticon.

"Optimus," Shockwave growled.

Optimus' only response was a furious yell as he rolled to his feet, taking an offensive crouched stance, blade and shield at the ready. He never got the chance to act, as Shockwave and the Driller retreated, burrowing into the ground and vanishing from sight. Looking around, Optimus spotted the soldiers scrambling to their feet from among copious amounts of rubble.

"The hell was that thing," Lennox asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"That," Optimus responded, throwing his dented sword to the side, "is Shockwave." The Prime's optics drifted to the severed front of the tendril, and its cargo, as Lennox crouched in front of it.

"Why was he after this?"

Optimus dropped his shield in shock and crouched on the object's other side, one arm resting on his knee. "It's impossible," he breathed out. "This is an engine part...from a long-lost Autobot ship." He exchanged a confused look with the human colonel before turning away and rising to full height, re-mounting his shield and sword for repairs and transforming his armory into its trailer mode. He said nothing more either on the way back to the plane or to the States, but throughout the whole time, one thought occupied his processor.

_How could the humans keep this from us?_

…

10 hours later

12:25 PM EST

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"Senator, I suggest you remember that when the NSA wants funding, they call me. When the CIA wants to take out a target, they ask first for my permission, and when the President wants to know which members of Congress are politically vulnerable in terms of, oh, let's say...undiscovered criminal conduct, I'm the number he dials."

Lennox looked up from his clipboard to do a double-take at the theatrical entrance of National Intelligence Director Charlotte Mearing, complete with a four-agent escort and a personal assistant hefting several bags. She strode directly toward him determinedly, her stance indicating that walking with her was not optional.

"CIA's up my ass about this mystery raid in the Middle East," she said hurriedly, "so it's time to come clean, was your unit involved?"

Lennox mentally scratched his head, hesitating before he gave his answer. "Uh," he slurred, "I'm not sure, ma'am." As they walked further into the base, Will saw Bumblebee and two soldiers demonstrating how to take down a Decepticon from above.

"As Director of National Intelligence," Mearing snapped, "I'm a really big fan of intelligent answers."

"I-I can't really tell you definitively. These Autobots, they're like teenage kids. They like to sneak out of the house every once in a while."

"Colonel Lennox, are you in command or are you not?"

"Yes, ma'am—"

She turned to him sternly. "Stop with the ma'am, enough with the ma'am. Do I look like a ma'am," she asked, turning her head toward her assistant slightly, who shook her head at Will judgmentally.

"No, ma'am," Lennox stuttered as she walked away, "y-yes, ma'am, yes." He mentally rolled his eyes at her eccentricities, something that had increased in both frequency and severity over the last few months.

"This gun is a perfect invention, Ironhide."

The voice turned the humans' attention to Que, who handed a new, long cannon to the Autobot weapons specialist before turning to them. "Oh," he started in his heavily accented voice, "good, you're here. My name's Que. I do 'ope you 'ave answers for 'im, I've never seen him so upset." He motioned vaguely to the stationary vehicle mode of Optimus Prime.

"Optimus," Lennox greeted, "you remember Charlotte Mearing? Our Director of National Intelligence?" No answer.

"'E's in a bad mood," Dino said from the side. "He's a not talkin' to anybody today."

"What is this," Mearing asked, a slight edge to her tone, "the silent treatment?"

"We've seen that," Ironhide answered, "and this is not that."

"Definitely not," Que added.

"_This_ is worse." Ironhide scowled at Optimus as he shuffled over to their leader. "Prime! Make something of yourself!" He punctuated this order with a firm close-fisted knock on the semi's roof. Immediately, the truck started loudly and furiously transforming. "He's pissed."

When Optimus had fully achieved bipedal form, he crouched down, both hands on the ground, his face barely eight feet from the Director's. "You lied to us," he growled. "Everything humans know of our planet we were told had all been shared, so why was this—" he pointed accusingly to the engine part on a desk between them, "—found in human possession?"

"We were in the dark on this also," Mearing answered in a placating tone. "It was director-only clearance at Sector Seven, until now." She motioned to her assistant. "The bag."

The shorter woman juggled several desperately before asking in a whisper, "Which bag?"

Charlotte glared at her. "Hermes Birkin, green ostrich!" As her assistant trotted over with the correct bag, apologizing profusely, Mearing rolled her eyes and breathed out, "My God." The other woman handed her a bag, which she then opened and pulled what looked like a manual from. "This is a secret few men knew, and fewer still remain alive. Allow me to please introduce to you NASA's founding mission directors and astronaut Dr. Buzz Aldrin, one of the first two men to step foot on the moon." As the men approached her, she strode up to the latter. "Sir? Optimus Prime."

Aldrin craned his head upward to look at the Bot in question, staring openmouthed as amazement and fascination gripped him. "From a fellow space traveler," he started, "it's a true honor."

Optimus had seemed to have calmed down considerably, so greeted the man in his usual deep, polite tone. "The honor is mine."

Mearing strode up to a scaffold in the hangar. "Our entire space race of the 1960s, it appears, was in response to an event."

One of the NASA directors spoke up at this point. "Our astronauts investigated a crashed alien ship. No survivors aboard."

"We were sworn to secrecy by our Commander-in-Chief," Aldrin added.

"A total of thirty-five people knew the real plan at NASA"

The other director spoke up. "Soviets managed to land unmanned probes. Somehow they must have—" he gestured to the engine part, "—picked up that fuel rod."

"We believe," Mearing added, "the Russians deduced that the rod was a fissionable fuel assembly, believed they had it mastered, and tried to harness it at Chernobyl."

"We landed six missions in all. Took hundreds of photos and samples. We locked them away forever when the moon program was shut down."

"Well," Ironhide cut in, "did you search the crash vault?"

All former NASA personnel froze and stared up at him in surprise before Optimus spoke.

"The ship's name was the Ark. I watched it escape Cybertron myself. It was carrying an Autobot technology which would have won us the war. And…" His optics turned mournful. "And its captain."

"Who was its captain," Mearing asked.

"The great Sentinel Prime. The technology's inventor. He was commander of the Autobots before me. It's imperative that I find it, _before_ the Decepticons learn of its location. Our Autobot spacecraft has the ability to get there." His face got close to Mearing's. "And you must pray it's in time."

…

From a darker corner of the same hangar, two beings watched the proceedings in silence, one of them pensive, the other uneasy. Caden noticed his partner's anxiety and called him on it.

Hawk's optics met his eyes, and he shook his head before responding. "It's nothing. Just...bad memories is all."

Caden's eyes narrowed. "How do you mean?"

"You remember the circumstances of my defection?"

He shrugged and nodded once. "Of course."

"You remember what happened in my trial?"

Drake's eyes narrowed to slits as he recalled their conversation almost two years ago. "You said they asked for your execution."

"No, Cade. Not 'they.' _Him_."

His eyes widened. "Sentinel Prime."

Hawk nodded, his expression grim.

Caden scratched his head. "Well...I mean, it's been over 200,000 years since then, so...he has to know you've changed."

Hawk gave him a pitying smile. "Were it so easy...Kara told me what the femme Bots and her were discussing during our little 'get-together' a month ago. Talked about pairing me up with Arcee."

Caden eyebrows shot up before he broke into uproarious laughter, which Hawk joined him in. "Are you _kidding_ me? That would be, like…" His voice trailed off as he thought about it seriously, his smile fading as he realized… "Oh man. That might actually work."

Hawk rolled his optics. "Oh Primus, not you too. Look, that's not my point. The point is, Chromia eventually voted against the idea because...well...because—"

"Because you tried to kill her."

Hawk looked away mournfully, guiltily, and breathed out, "Yeah." A pinprick of warmth on his arm revealed Caden's hand on his.

"Don't think about it too much. It's unfair of them to still hold you to that, after all this time, after all you've changed."

Hawk pursed his lips and nodded. Deep down, he knew what Caden was saying was true, but that didn't mean their misguided mistrust didn't hurt. Not that Arcee had displayed that toward him, but… He shook his head. What the others thought was irrelevant, in his opinion. He was who he was, and he let his actions speak for him. The Bots he cared for most appreciated that, Optimus and Ironhide especially. He would allow the rest their fallacious opinions as long as it didn't interfere with his work, and thus far, it hadn't. If they found Sentinel intact, though…

"I almost don't want us to find him."

"Who, Sentinel?"

Hawk nodded. "And not just for my sake."

Caden squinted at him questioningly, and Hawk stared back, a grim expression on his face, before explaining.

"For yours."

…

9 hours later

Tranquility Base, Luna

Optimus and Ratchet disembarked from the Xanthium as several human rover drones did the same, tracking toward the Ark's wreckage at a much slower pace than the Autobots.

"Ratchet," Prime said, unsubspacing his cannon, "let's roll." They ran for several hundred feet before connecting to the NEST comlink. "We're entering the Ark." They swept through the dead halls for a few minutes before finding the captain's crash vault. Optimus' heavy hand depressed the long-immobile release button, causing the hatch below them to open sluggishly. What he found sent his spark twisting. _Sentinel… _He leapt into the hole, cradling his mentor's inactive body as five cylindrical objects floated away from it, one of them finding its way into Ratchet's hand.

"His levels are faint," the medic said. "He locked himself away to guard the pillars."

Optimus' optics swept over the inactive Prime's chassis in spark-wrenching sorrow before he realized what he carried in his spark and set his expression determinedly.

"Sentinel...you're coming home, old friend."

…

Sahara Desert, Africa

The hot sun of the Sahara blazed down on hot sand, sending herds of elephants and zebra scuttling away to their respective watering holes. Birds sought cover from the blazing sun in what few trees and foliage there were. Even the lions had something better to do than be out in the open. One creature, however, cared nothing for the elements. He was above it. Above everything around him. Above the whole planet. The rumble of a powerful engine drew all their attention, and a sand-gold truck with crude blades sticking out of its front and a tarp laid over top rolled to a stop a good distance off.

The moment it halted, the vehicle started shifting, its front smacking the ground before turning into a chest and melding with the rest of a massive metal body. When it was finished, Megatron, scourge of the universe, former Lord High Protector of Cybertron, and leader of the Decepticons, stood erect, the tarp curling into a hood that he pulled over his damaged helm. The animals stared while some of them started shuffling away, instinctively sensing the danger this being presented to all life around him. The rest followed suit when he pulled a long, double-barrelled fusion cannon off his back and spoke.

"All hail Megatron," he growled out, prompting the wildlife to back up and flee. Megatron re-sheathed the cannon and marched toward his crude command post, a smoking scrapyard with several shacks erected. A small Decepticon greeted him as he strode toward a makeshift sitting block with his newly attached legs, then sat, turning to several Decepticon sparklings clambering for energon. He held up his right hand and sprinkled a hardened form of the substance among them. "Don't be greedy, my fragile ones." The roar of an F-22 behind him alerted Megatron to the approach of his First Lieutenant and following transformation.

"Oh, my poor master," Starscream groveled. "How it pains me to see you so wounded, so weak-"

"Spare me," Megatron roared, "you gaseous sycophant!" His sudden outburst caused several Decepticon repair bots working on his head to chatter in fear. "You know what you are _told_, which is _nothing_."

A bird crowed fearfully overhead a few moments before being blasted to shreds by Megatron's favorite flying mini Con, who descended out of view briefly before appearing again on the arm of his favorite officer.

"Soundwave reporting, Lord Megatron."

"And what news from your little assassin?"

"Autobots have taken the bait," Laserbeak said in his usual hiss. "They've discovered the Ark and returned with its cargo."

An evil, perverse smile came to Megatron's face at the news as he stood. "You did me great honor tracking that ship to the Moon." He picked at his damaged head, his clawed fingers grabbing one of the repair bots and twirling him in his hand. "Your human collaborators have served their purpose, Soundwave." He crushed the bot, as if to illustrate his point. "It's time to eliminate loose ends."

"As you wish," the surveillance chief said with a bow of his head. "Laserbeak. Kill them all."

With a flap of his metal wings, the airborne mini Con flew off, transmitting a single message to his master.

"With pleasure."

…

18 hours later

7:30 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

There was something going on outside, something that piqued Caden's interest, but not enough to merit a closer look. That is, until the cause of the disturbance came strolling irately through the front door, a slightly shorter blonde broad in tow. Drake's eyebrows raised as Lennox escorted him and his friend further into the base, and he made for them just in time to overhear Mearing's interruption.

"Who's the chick?" When neither Lennox nor Sam acknowledged her presence, she spoke up, cutting off Sam in the middle of a sentence. "Okay, excuse me! Colonel Lennox?"

"Director Mearing," the officer started, "this is Sam Witwicky, a civilian—"

"I know his name, Colonel. I want to know who gave him clearance."

The independent spy within Caden burned at her objection until he heard Sam's answer.

"Who gave me clearance," the college grad asked tauntingly. "How about Optimus Prime, when he touched down in suburbia looking for my house?"

Lennox tried to cool things down. "This is the National Intelligence Director, in case you…"

"Hi."

"Disrespecting a federal officer," Mearing asked. "Huh. Maybe that'll get you somewhere. Who's she?" She nodded toward the blonde.

"She's my girlfriend."

"What is this, like a date?"

"She knows all about the Autobots," Lennox explained. "She knows Bumblebee, and she comes from a military family. I can vouch for her."

_How come_ I_ never knew,_ Caden thought.

"Hey," Sam cut in, "I—I have an idea. How about we get back to the important topics, like the fact that I almost had my face cut off, by a Decepticon? As a taxpayer, I would like to lodge a complaint, as a matter of fact."

"I have to agree," Caden said, approaching the group and smiling internally. "Whatever his 'clearance' is or isn't, if he's under threat, like he has been before, we need to know why."

Sam turned to him, gratitude and relief flooding his features as Cade gave him a slight nod.

"Okay," Lennox interrupted, "okay, listen, all right? One of the software engineers at Sam's office was murdered today. He was involved in NASA's lunar mapping probe."

Caden's eyebrows shot up. _Not good._

"Here's the thing," Mearing said. "Colonel Lennox, we cannot entrust national security to teenagers, unless I missed a policy paper." She turned to her assistant for assistance. "Are we doing that now?" At the other woman's shake of the head, she turned back to Sam. "No? Good. I don't care who you are. If you breathe a word of what you see in here, you will do time for treason. Do you understand me?"

Caden's carefully kept composure almost faltered, and he was a hairsbreadth from stepping in and voicing his opinion on her ingratitude, after everything Sam had done, when the boy in question actually got up in her face.

"I'll take my orders from the Autobots," he said in a calm, quietly confident voice. "I know them. I don't know you."

Behind the director's back, Caden beamed at him.

Clearly taken aback at the kid's audacity, Mearing gave him a stern look. "You will."

…

5 minutes later

Caden had decided to join Sam, Carly, his new girlfriend, and several other soldiers on the catwalks surrounding the berth where the immobile Sentinel Prime lay. The dark red Autobot had a heavily armored body with less sharp edges and more interlocked contours than Optimus. His helm was similar in design to Optimus', with two crests on opposite sides and what looked like dreadlocks coming from a metal "beard." As his eyes swept over the ancient Autobot's chassis, Caden couldn't help but feel a reverent respect for him. He supposed that was the point behind having such a design.

"Sentinel Prime," Lennox was saying to Mearing. "These things run on energon, and he's out of it. He's in a...sort of a sleep mode." The regal baritone of Optimus Prime immediately silenced any and all side conversations.

"Let us begin." His chest plates opened, showing his spark and something that most, but not all, in the room had seen before.

"That's the great Matrix of Leadership," Lennox explained. "He holds the only thing in the universe that can repower a Transformer's spark."

"This is incredible," Carly whispered almost inaudibly to Sam in her thick British accent, causing Caden to smile slightly.

_Girl, you ain't seen nothin' yet._

"Sentinel Prime," Optimus started solemnly, "we bid you return." And with that, the glowing, double-edged shard was grasped firmly in his right hand and thrust between Sentinel's chestplates.

A wave of energy spread throughout his body, followed closely by another when Optimus pushed the Matrix in again. Several Cybertronian phrases escaped his vocals before he looked truly active...and what he did next was not at all what they expected.

"Unhh!" Optimus grunted as he was struck and tackled to the ground, Sentinel pulling a gigantic, one-edged sword and pressing the tip against his helm.

"Hold your fire!" Lennox yelled to his soldiers, noticing most of them going for weapons.

"Stop! Sentinel!" He grasped at his disoriented mentor's weapon arm, desperately pushing the blade away from him. "It is I, Optimus—Prime!" Sentinel seemed to recognize that name, even if he didn't understand much else, as he began to relax. "It is all right. You are safe."

"There is nothing to fear," Ratchet said from the sidelines, though some humans present looked at the new arrival doubtfully.

"We are here," Optimus assured. "You are home, Sentinel."

The older Prime looked around before his optics widened in a panic. "The war...the war!"

His voice was barely anything like what Caden had expected from what Hawk had told him. It was very apparent that he was old, very old, and wise beyond belief. It almost made him wonder why Hawk had such a low opinion of him. _Looks can be deceiving, _he reminded himself firmly, remembering the many times he had seen others taken by surprise by a smooth voice and sterling reputation.

"The war was lost," Optimus answered as he got to his feet, reaching for the fallen Matrix. "Cybertron is now but a barren wasteland. We have taken refuge here, on Planet Earth. Its human race is our ally."

"My ship," Sentinel shouted. "We came under fire. The pillars," he said earnestly, approaching Optimus. "Where are the pillars?"

"You saved five of them, including the control pillar."

"Only five? We once had hundreds!"

"Excuse me," Mearing cut in politely, "gentlemen. May I ask...what _is_ this technology you're looking for?"

Sentinel turned to her with an explanatory tone. "It is the ability to reshape the universe. Together the pillars form a spacebridge. I designed, and I alone, can control it. It defies your laws of physics to transport matter through time and space."

Caden grunted in understanding. He'd seen spacebridge use firsthand through Jetfire, who was almost buzzing with excitement at the news. Evidently, the old scientist intended to ask for a closer look.

"You're talking about a teleportation device, aren't you?"

"Yes," Optimus cut in, "for resources. For refugees."

"Refugees," Mearing started animatedly, "or troops of soldiers, weapons, maybe bombs! A means of an instant strike. That's its military function, isn't it?"

"It is our technology," Sentinel chided, "and it must be returned."

"Yes," Mearing hissed, "if humans say so! You can't just bring weapons of mass destruction into our atmosphere! Kind of have to clear customs first. A little formality called paperwork, kind of separates us from the animals."

Caden was actually gaping at the sheer audacity of the human liaison, and he noticed Hawk sitting in a far corner of the hangar, battle mask deployed, hand over his optics as he desperately tried to contain his laughter.

Sentinel narrowed his optics at her and got close. "I will overlook your condescending tone if you heed the gravity of mine. The Decepticons must never know the spacebridge is here, for in their hands, it would mean the end of your world."

…

As Sam and Carly were directed to Mearing's office, Hawk and the other Autobots went off to another hangar to brief Sentinel on their situation away from prying eyes and ears. Not even Caden was allowed in. Hawk kept to the back of their two-layered circle, staying out of the way as Optimus explained everything, one or two of the others chiming in to add important details about their stay on Earth thus far. When he got to talking about the Iacon artifacts, Sentinel actually choked on the current owner of the Sword of Primus.

"You mean to say," Sentinel started incredulously, "that the Sword of Primus responds to this...turncoat?" He motioned pointedly to Hawk, no small measure of disgust in his tone and expression. To all their surprise, Hawk cut off Optimus' defusing answer.

"Yes," Hawk hissed out, actually drawing the weapon in question and coming to the inner circle, just out of reach of the 34-foot Sentinel, "and this _turncoat_ is currently holding one of the most powerful weapons ever forged. Something you would be wise to remember, _Prime_." Hawk's intense optics glared into Sentinel's as they shared a staredown, the Sword of Primus glowing with an intensity that mirrored the attitude of its owner.

"Hawk," Optimus cut in authoritatively, "may I speak to you in private?"

The 20-foot Bot sheathed the sword and nodded, exiting to another empty hangar as his inner fears crept up. When they were alone, he snapped.

"I know what you're thinking, Prime, and I'm telling you, you can't do it."

Optimus drew back in confusion. "I...do not know what you are referring to, but your animosity toward Sentinel is both unmerited and unwelcome."

"Unmerited?!" Hawk roared. "You're talking about the mech that led Cybertron to ruin, the one who failed to defeat Megatron, whose pre-war actions led to the war in the first place! You _cannot_ give him the Matrix of Leadership."

Optimus' optics narrowed as he realized Hawk's fear. The Matrix of Leadership was, at one point, the key that showed one's worthiness of being a Prime. To hand it over to Sentinel would be giving him command of the Autobots. "As Prime before me, he has the right to possess it again."

"Right? Being a Prime isn't a right, it's a privilege. You're _chosen_ to be a Prime, not created. You don't get that honor by way of osmosis, and frankly, I fail to see what he's done to merit it."

"Sentinel was a Prime long before I was. With so few who knew Cybertron before the war, his knowledge and wisdom are unparalleled."

Hawk got up in his commander's face and hissed his next words out. "If he's really so wise, then why is he _here_, and why is our home no more than a lifeless husk?" When Optimus didn't answer, Hawk snarled and stormed off to another section of the base, needing something to vent his anger on before he attempted to assassinate their newest member.

…

Hawk was brooding and tuning his weapons when Caden found him.

"Yeesh, partner. I knew you'd be upset if we found him, but I didn't expect _this_."

Hawk barely gave him a glance. "Prime's going to give him the Matrix."

Caden's eyes narrowed in confusion. "So?"

"That's giving him command of the Autobots."

A look of utter, gaping shock came to Caden's face. "Why? How could he think that's a good idea?"

Hawk shrugged and scoffed, subspacing his fusion cannon. "Hell if I know." He crouched down to speak to Caden face-to-face. "Optimus is too close to this, respects him too much. He was our Prime's mentor, so I expected a great amount of loyalty, but this…" He shook his head. "This is blind faith." His expression darkened further. "And that's not _all_ that worries me."

Cade's eyes narrowed. "Okay?"

Hawk looked around cautiously, ensuring he was out of earshot of even his Autobot comrades before speaking. "Look, I'm a spy, yes?" Hawk continued at Caden's nod. "Well, an eon of that occupation does things to your instincts, and right now, there are all sorts of alarms going off." He hesitated again, pursing his metal lips. "I don't think it was coincidence that Shockwave was sent after the Ark piece at the same time we were, nor that we happened to find a long-lost Prime and his technology because of it. Especially now that Megatron and his forces are on the run."

Caden still looked skeptical, but nodded for him to continue.

Hawk whispered his next words. "I don't. Trust. That. Slagger."

Drake's eyes widened slightly. "Hawk, he's a _Prime_. Instincts or no, don't you think you're being just a _little_ bit paranoid? Are you sure your bias isn't affecting your judgement?"

The Bot turned his gaze away. "Not entirely, but…" His voice trailed off until he shook his head determinedly. "No. Sentinel was an arrogant, dominating clod, and as far as I knew, he never changed in that regard. Prime or no, he'd never have stood for human restrictions, and frankly, the fact that he is now...worries me." He stopped for a second before continuing. "And something else he said bothers me. If he's the only one who can use the spacebridge, why would it matter if the Decepticons know it's here?"

Caden pursed his lips and looked away. "So I'm not the _only _one who picked that up." Hawk shook his head. "I'll admit, it does look a little suspicious, but...he's a Prime."

"So was the Fallen," Hawk pointed out grimly. "Before all the power got to his head. Just like Megatron. Just like Raden."

Caden winced and bristled just slightly at the subtle manipulation. "Okay," he said a little more forcefully than necessary, "I get your point." He pressed his lips together again. "He may be arrogant, Hawk, but is he really traitor material?"

"Maybe," Hawk said thoughtfully, "maybe not. Maybe it's all in my head...but he and his ilk are the primary reason I didn't join the Autobots until much later in the war, and if I'm right…"

"Then giving him the Matrix is absolutely the wrong thing to do." He stayed silent for a few moments. "What about Sam?"

Hawk gave him a questioning look.

"He said a coworker of his was killed by a Decepticon. Some kind of birdlike assassin."

Hawk's optics widened in recognition. "Laserbeak. One of Soundwave's pets." If possible, he looked even more disturbed and anxious. "First Shockwave, then Sentinel, and now Soundwave? Way beyond coincidence. Something big's going down, and we need to find out what..." He got to his feet, locking gazes with his partner gravely as Caden finished his sentence.

"Before Megatron brings it right down on our heads."

* * *

AN: Before anyone starts griping about unrealistic suspicions, try to see this from Hawk's point of view. He had 200,000 years of working with the Autobots, plus stories beforehand, to learn exactly who and what Sentinel Prime was. He didn't like him to begin with, just like Sentinel felt of him, and just like Sentinel wanted to find any and all reasons to indict him of treason and execute him, Hawk was waiting for him to slip up and prove his inability to lead as well as Optimus. Now, with everything that's happened, he's bound to be suspicious of the whole situation, especially how it started.

I will be updating twice a week, around Thursdays and Mondays, I'd say, until Dark of the Moon is finished.

Hope you enjoyed this first chapter of the DOTM arc and are looking forward to more, cause I definitely have a lot in store. As always, please review and recommend.


	29. Dark of the Moon

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Sentinel Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

* * *

"First Shockwave, then Sentinel, and now Soundwave? Way beyond coincidence. Something big's going down, and we need to find out what..." He got to his feet, locking gazes with his partner gravely as Caden finished his sentence.

"Before Megatron brings it right down on our heads."

…

5 minutes later

8:35 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

2 years after the death of the Fallen

Caden ran into Sam just as he and Carly were leaving.

"Hey," he called, jogging to reach them as they slowed to a stop, noticing a sour expression on Sam's face. "So what happened?"

Sam stuck his hands in his pockets briefly before answering. "She punted me."

"Huh?"

He sighed. "Said they'd look into the murder, but...I'm out of the loop."

Caden's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? How does _that_ make any sense?"

"Apparently, I'm 'just a messenger,'" he responded, making air quotations with his fingers.

Drake crossed his arms crossly. "If she thinks _you're _a messenger, then I'm the damn paperboy. Who else could have had the guts to take the frigging Allspark and shove it into the chest of an ancient robot who could've killed someone with a flick of his finger? Or sprint across miles of burning sand among explosions and searching Decepticons to revive Optimus with the Matrix?" He snorted. "I mean, hell, we wouldn't even have had the means to revive Sentinel Prime without you." _Although, Hawk would argue that might be a good thing._

"Look," Sam interrupted, holding his hands up, "I get it, okay? I don't like it, but I get it." The look on his face said otherwise.

Caden smiled conspiratorially and drew close, whispering in his ear. "You're gonna go rogue, aren't you? Try and figure it out yourself."

Sam's quick glance was all the confirmation he needed. "She sent us home with Autobot protection."

"Bee?"

He nodded.

Caden gave out a humorless chuckle. "Well, at least Senior Government Pinhead had _that _much sense." He shook his head. He respected Mearing as an apt intelligence officer and coordinator, but not for her judgement or inability to bend the rules when necessary. _Too much red tape,_ he thought, and not for the first time. Pulling himself out of those thoughts, his eyes drifted to the blonde, and he gave her a friendly smile. "So, I don't believe we've been properly introduced." He outstretched his hand, and she took it. "I'd like to rectify that."

"Maybe...another time," she said warmly, throwing an arm around Sam's shoulders. "I think my boyfriend has had enough on his plate for one day."

Caden smiled wider. "Fair enough. Speaking of which, I have a girl of my own to get back to, so…" He clapped Sam on the shoulder and nodded. "I'll be in touch."

"Sure thing," Sam said in return, turning around and walking for the door as Caden watched them leave.

_Amazing how far he's come._ Just over a year ago, when they'd first met, he had seemed like an awkward, timid teenager, and for the most part, he was. Even six months ago, the last time they'd seen each other, he was too sensitive, too fragile to be the determined, confident man that stood up to Mearing's governmental BS. Although the two of them weren't the closest of friends, he more than respected him, both his accomplishments and just who he was as a person. As such, his clear development of a considerable backbone was something he was very glad to see. Caden spotted Hawk motioning in his direction and surmised that it was time to go.

…

1 hour later

9:42 PM

Sudley, VA

"Honey, I'm home!"

Kara bounded down the stairs from the third to second floor, then leapt the last ten feet to the first floor, tackling her boyfriend in a crushing hug. "Missed you."

Caden let out a slightly choked laugh. "Uh huh. I can tell by the bone-crushing—umph—" Anything he was about to say was cut off by a passionate kiss, and all other thoughts melted away in a flood of ever-expanding warmth. "Mmm...hello," he said dreamily when she finally broke the kiss.

"Hey handsome." Another quick kiss and she pulled him to his feet, snuggling against his chest, her cheek rubbing his shoulder gently as she closed her eyes. "How was work," she asked in a slightly muffled voice. His smile faded slightly, and his hesitation got her attention. "What happened?"

"There...could be trouble. Serious trouble."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "If you're saying _that_, then this is serious, 'cause we're _always_ in trouble."

A black brow raised as a slight amused smile came to his face. "And you'll be in trouble if you start worrying about it tonight. Right now…" his lips nibbled at her neck, "...I want you to myself. _All_ to myself."

She let out a shuddering sigh, her eyes closing gently as she melted into his embrace, her arms wrapping around his neck as he lifted her into a cradle carry. All the energy seemed to leave her body as he laid her in their queen-sized bed and doffed his jacket and boots before joining her, spooning her six-foot body, his arms wrapped around her torso protectively. A series of gentle taps on their window caused an annoyed growl to come from the man before he reluctantly pushed himself away from her body and went to the source of the disturbance.

"What," Caden asked almost irately.

Hawk was hanging from the side of the house, not for the first time, the impeccably stable structure holding his weight. "It's Sam. He says you're not picking up your phone."

Caden's eyes narrowed dangerously, and he clenched his teeth before rolling his eyes and closing the window, retrieving his silenced phone and finding two missed calls. He snarled in annoyance before hitting the "call" button and putting the device to his ear. The voice at the other end was different from what he expected.

"Caden," Sam said, his tone more determined and focused than Drake had ever heard from him, "can you come to my place tomorrow?"

Drake's eyes narrowed. "When?"

"Afternoon. A little past two."

He glanced toward Kara. "Fine."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, you just...caught me in the middle of something."

"Oh..._oh_."

Caden could tell that he had come to the wrong conclusion. "No, Sam, I didn't mean—"

"No, man, it's fine...yeesh, I'd be _pissed _if I were interrupted in the middle of—"

"I don't do...that. I'm not that kind of guy."

"Dude, it's cool."

"No, it really isn't. I don't want that kind of reputation."

"What reputation? Since when does anyone care?"

Caden pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, closing his eyes. "I'll be at your place tomorrow. Just...wait, what exactly are you planning?"

Sam was silent for a while. "Something's really off about this whole thing, and I need to call an expert."

Drake's eyebrows furrowed. "What expert?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow. I'll let you get back to...whatever it was you were doing."

"Right...see you tomorrow." He closed down the phone and huffed, tossing it to the side and looking back toward the now-empty bed. Glancing around the room, he was taken by surprise when a pair of soft arms wrapped around his midsection from behind. "Oh...hello." He smiled as she pulled his shirt over his head and pushed him face-first onto the mattress.

…

Next day

2:15 PM

Washington, DC

"Wow."

"Interview is over! You-out of my house!"

Caden was busy on the floor of Sam's apartment, half-dying of laughter.

"You're sounding like a pinhead, agent. And I've got a suggestion for you—"

"It's over! Understand?"

"Damage control."

"Dutch!"

The half of the screen with former Agent Seymour Simmons went black, along with the TV a few seconds later as Sam shook his head and picked up his phone for the sixth time, dialing the number of the man in question once again. He cursed under his breath as the line went to voicemail.

"Is he serious?"

Sam looked up at the question's source and rolled his eyes once before opening his mouth to speak. His phone rang before he could. "Yeah."

"Yeah, hello?"

"Simmons."

"Yes, I know my own name, thank you very much, now what do you want?"

Sam gave Caden a glance, to which the spy returned a "you're on your own" look. "I called you because the Decepticons are back. I want to know why, and I need your help."

"They're back? Well, that's good for business."

"What if I told you I know a fifty year old alien secret that nobody ever told you?"

Simmons' response sounded well and truly agitated. "Do not tempt...my _addiction_. I have gone through withdrawal, kid. Dutch! Is this line secure?" There was a muffled answer from the other end, along with sounds of shuffling. "Don't take the risk. I'm rich, why should I? Do. Not. Relapse. I won't. Do not let the demons win." A "got it" was heard quite clearly on the former Sector Seven agent's end. "What kind of...secret?"

"Apollo," Sam started nonchalantly. "Moon. Aliens. Cover-up. Future tech. Assassinations. That kind of stuff."

"Ohhh...Apollo…" His voice trailed off as he promptly hung up the phone.

Sam stared at his end for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"So? Is he coming?"

"Yeah, Cade. He once told me that all he ever wanted to be growing up was an astronaut. There's no way he'll pass up the chance at this kind of gig."

"Hm," he grunted, seeming to become lost in his thoughts.

"So Sam," Hawk said from where his holoform stood, just behind a fully bipedal Bumblebee, "what've you been doing the last few months?"

He shrugged in response. "Nothing, really. I've felt so unimportant and useless, that's why I tried to get Mearing to bring me in on the investigation."

"And why you're going off the reservation to prove her wrong." He shrugged in approval. "S'what _I'd_ do."

A knock on the freight elevator door a few stories below Sam's loft alerted them to Simmons' presence. A minute later, the man himself stepped through the doors in a dark suit and sunglasses, with a blonde man behind him and several dozen cases of equipment.

"Tell Megatron...let's tango."

…

4:50 PM

Virginia

Two vehicles rolled down a secluded road in the countryside of Northern Virginia, rolling hills all around them. One was a bright red Rosenbauer airport truck, the other a flaming red-and-blue Peterbilt 379 towing a chrome trailer. Both pulled to a dusty stop, the latter disengaging its trailer as it transformed into a 32-foot robot, the former into one slightly taller and just as regal. The bright red Autobot stood gazing out into the countryside at the fading sun, admiring the scenery.

"So majestic and peaceful, this planet. Unlike the final days of Cybertron."

Optimus strode toward him from behind. "I've wondered what might have been, if you had fought the final battle, instead of me."

Sentinel smiled sadly and turned toward his former protege. "Never mourn the past, young warrior. Thanks to you, our race survives."

Optimus pressed his lips together and opened his chest panels, kneeling and feeling a twinge of guilt in his spark. "You were our leader, Sentinel." The Matrix of Leadership floated into the air, and he pushed it toward his mentor. "It is your right to lead us again." He knew Hawk would disagree, and to a very small degree, he did as well.

Sentinel didn't hesitate in his answer. "In a world I do not know? I am no longer your teacher, Optimus." He pushed the Matrix back into Optimus' grasp. "You are mine."

…

4:55 PM

Washington, DC

"Hawk, you okay?"

The Bot's holoform flickered for a moment as a deep frown came to his face before he turned to his human partner and responded so only he could hear. "Yeah...I...Optimus just commed me."

Caden's eyebrows furrowed.

"He said Sentinel rejected the Matrix."

Surprise crossed the man's face. "You think maybe you were wrong about him?"

Hawk looked away, pursing his lips. "Maybe...but just because he didn't take command doesn't mean there's nothing wrong. He's off, I can _feel_ it."

Caden sighed in resignation and turned back toward Sam and Simmons. His Autobot friend's beliefs were steeped in millennia of history and bad blood between common Cybertronians and the Primes. He didn't doubt that their apathy and inaction had partially led to the eventual death of their world, but to think that a Prime, _any _Prime, would actually defect...it was unthinkable. _Hard to see it happening with Optimus as an example, anyway._ Although, if he thought about it, Optimus, by all accounts, really was the paragon of all "modern" Primes, with all their strengths and few, if any, of their flaws. With some effort, he returned his focus to the matter at hand.

"You've got to break this case down," Simmons was saying. "What we have here is an astronaut epidemic. MIA," he said, punctuating this statement with a thump of a old picture with a former NASA staffer on a board, as well as many others. "Dead. Died in a car accident. Killed. DOA. Car death. It's like these guys can't drive. They can fly into outer space, but they can't drive a car."

A few sharp knocks on the door brought Sam there, where his boss passed a packet of files to him. "Procured your information, Witwicky."

"Thank you, Bruce," Sam said, closing the door.

A foot stopped it. "Now...would you let me see one right now? One time."

"Quick."

"Very."

The door opened to reveal an older man with frizzy white hair and an expression that Caden could only define as benignly crazed.

"Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter," Sam said to the group. "It says NASA launched it in 2009. See, forensics show Wang may have messed with the code, _preventing_ it from mapping the far side of the moon, which is also the dark side."

Caden nodded in acknowledgement as he reviewed several pictures from the sixties NASA era, then did a double-take at the new arrival.

Bruce Brazos walked straight up to Bumblebee and stared, nodding his head slightly. "Freakin' awesome."

"They infiltrate us," Simmons said, "intimidate us, coerce us to do their dirty work. And once they're done, kadoosh. A double-tap to the cerebellum."

Hawk was searching the photos and files alongside his partner, and an expression of shock and horror crossed his face. "Cade," he whispered, picking one of the pictures up and handing it to him.

Caden's expression mirrored his as they locked gazes. "You don't think—" Hawk's slow, grim-faced nod answered his question. "Shit," he breathed, returning his eyes to the picture. On it was a group of NASA personnel talking in a testing facility.

With a silver-black 1968 Audi 100 in the background.

Caden laid down the picture and gave Hawk a look, turning back to the other two, an uneasy feeling in his gut.

"So," Sam said, "humans are working for the Decepticons."

"I don't think this is about the Decepticons looking for something on the moon," Simmons said, a disturbed expression coming to his face. "I think it's about something...they wanted to hide."

"Come to Daddy," Bruce said in a crazed voice as he motioned to Bee with a double-handed wave, falling into a sloppy fighting stance. "Come on, throw down. Ha!" He threw a few kicks into the air.

"Did you eat a lot of paint chips when you were a kid," Bee asked through a radio clip.

"He's a freak," Simmons muttered.

"Ha!" Brazos yelled as he kept up his antics. "Like it?"

Bumblebee's patience seemed to have run out, and he deployed his plasma cannon, knocking the man onto his back. "Get back!" He pinned him there, unmoving, watching as the man giggled insanely.

"I'm ticklish!"

"Sir!" Simmons shouted crossly. "We are having a pretty high-level alien intel confab here that I don't think you're cleared for, errand boy."

"Yeah," Bruce blurted as he got to his feet, "you're right." He turned to Sam. "It's a bitching robot."

Caden smirked and shook his head. _Got no idea…_

"I think it's time to go, Bruce," Sam said, moving him toward the door.

"Thank you so much for this, and—"

"Got to go, Bruce." He slammed the door in his face and turned back toward the rest of the room.

"Hey," a voice said from the center of the open room, "I'm smokin' over here." A laptop transformed into the blue-eyed intelligence specialist the Wreckers brought to Earth. "Downloaded missing Russian cosmonauts." Brains motioned animatedly and hopped toward a nearby printer. "Turns out the Soviets canceled a manned mission to the moon. The moon! In 1972. And two of their cosmonauts went into hiding in America." He put his hands against the printer, interfacing with it. "And I just found them _alive_!" Several sheets spat out of the device, showing the pictures and locations of the men in question.

"You're a genuis, Brains," Wheelie said from somewhere else.

As Bumblebee whistled through the radio absently, the door of the apartment opened, and a very stunned Carly Spencer walked through, startling the yellow Bot. He recoiled in surprise, accidentally bumping a chandelier with his head and sending it smashing to the ground. He ducked back, pulling down half his battle mask to hide his face like a kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar.

"Missed it," he transmitted, "by that much."

"Hi," Sam said, half-dazed.

Carly did _not _look pleased. "Would somebody care to tell me what the hell's going on?"

"Who are you," Simmons asked.

"Who are _you_?"

"Who am I? Who is that? Dutch!" He motioned to his blonde assistant. "Frisk her!"

"Certainly," the man said with a sinister expression and a heavy German accent.

Sam looked a little panicked. "No, no," he warned. "Dutch, I wouldnt—"

"Don't touch me," Carly said authoritatively, with a warning look at the approaching man.

Dutch actually recoiled and turned around. "I'm not gonna touch her."

"Sam," she questioned.

"Angel," he pleaded. "Uh...I was working. I'm sorry about this." The way she stormed off up the stairs sent Sam running after her.

"Great!" Wheelie shouted. "We're homeless."

"She lives here," Simmons asked no one in particular. "Wow." He turned to Dutch. "You had your chance to frisk her."

Dutched shrugged. "I have a girlfriend."

"Really? What's her name?"

The man hesitated considerably. "India."

Caden heard the sounds of an argument starting upstairs and sighed. Didn't want to cause that kind of friction. "Well," he said, breaking the silence, "we seem to have overstayed our welcome. Not the image of me I want that lady to have, so…" He looked at Hawk, who nodded to him grimly. "We're gonna go."

"You're leaving," Simmons asked incredulously, gesturing to their impromptu setup and all the intel they'd retrieved. "Now?"

"'Fraid so," Hawk answered for his partner, pushing off the desk he was leaning against. "We've got another lead to run down. You two take the cosmonauts."

"Got it...I guess."

"Take care," Cade called as he left via the front door, seeing Hawk's holoform vanish in his peripheral vision and spotting his vehicle mode parked in an alley around the corner. He climbed in and locked the door before speaking. "So...Sideways was involved in this whole 'moon' business."

Hawk shimmied under him. "Yes...though in what capacity exactly, I'm not sure. We'll have to ask him to find out."

"And how exactly do you expect to do that? I mean, it's not like we can just call him up. First we need to find him, then we need to capture him. Which do you think is gonna be harder?"

"Capturing, of course, but I don't plan on us doing it alone."

Cade raised an eyebrow as Hawk started driving. "Oh yeah? And who _exactly_ are you planning on calling in?" As they rounded a corner, a familiar Lamborghini joined up with them. "Smokescreen...of course."

"Boss-man said you might need help," he answered simply.

"Thought that was Optimus."

"Well...yeah, but…" Smoke's red-haired holoform appeared in the driver's seat and pointed at Hawk. "He's the teach."

Caden sighed and rolled his eyes. "And how are we going to find him?"

"Well," Hawk started, "we're going to need inside information...from someone who's more easily accessible."

"Meaning a Con."

"One in particular. One with whom we may have some rapport."

Drake's eyes widened as he got his friend's drift. "Knockout."

…

20 minutes later

5:15 PM

Dulles Airport, VA

"Look, Knockout. All we're asking for is a little information."

The red Decepticon huffed indignantly and crossed his arms. "That is _so_ not all you're asking for. You're asking me to put my spark on the line with _Sideways_, by far _the _number one psycho this side of Cybertron. And with Shockwave around, that's _saying_ something."

Hawk was getting irritated at Caden's lack of results, and made his displeasure known. "Listen, slagger." He shoved Knockout up against the side of a warehouse, holding him off the ground with his forearm on his neck. "I've got a score to settle with him, and if you know Sideways, then you know my history with him." Knockout nodded quickly, prompting Hawk to bring their faces very close together. "If I have any say in the matter, only one of us is walking away intact, and it's gonna be me." A cruel smirk came to his face. "Or, if you'd prefer me to torture it out of you…" He snapped a Cybertanium blade out and pointed its razor-sharp edge at the flame pattern on Knockout's chassis.

His red optics widened. "Wait, wait, wait! Stop!"

"Hawk," Caden reprimanded softly, shaking his head and playing "good cop." He turned back to Knockout as the blade returned to its subspace. "Look, all we need is a location. We'll take it from there."

Knockout scowled at them both. "Fine," he spat out. "As a medic, I hear things from my patients. I can tell you where he's gonna be in twenty minutes."

"Good enough for me," Hawk muttered, releasing him and stepping back.

Caden rolled his eyes noticeably and gave Knockout a genuinely sympathetic look, mouthing, "I'm sorry."

"Whatever. Just leave me alone, and make sure that my name stays out of your little...energon feud."

"Consider it done."

…

20 minutes later

5:38 PM

Reston, VA

Caden and Hawk had been staking out a relatively unpopulated area of the suburbs for the last ten minutes waiting for Sideways to arrive. Smokescreen was on standby out of sight in the trees, not too far away from their position. Just when they were beginning to doubt Knockout's intel, a familiar silver-and-black Audi R8 pulled into the dirt lot beyond the cover of the forest and transformed. Sideways was performing what looked like routine maintenance on his Nucleon rifle, though why on Earth he would do it in a dust-filled lot was beyond comprehension. Suddenly, as though something had just occurred to him, Sideways pointed the weapon into the trees and fired.

The shot missed a speeding Hawk by barely a foot, allowing him more than enough time to maneuver around the next, slamming into the assassin's legs with his broad side in a 180 turn. Caden dove out the door, Daggertail loaded and ready, unleashing the first salvo of MA rounds on his gun arm as Hawk transformed and snapped his blades out. Sideways snarled at them both and kicked a cloud of dirt over Caden, obscuring his line of sight and rolling away from a slash on Hawk's part. His minigun chewed into Hawk's armor, but got little more than a snarl before the Bot tackled and pummeled him, his blades damaging the rapid-firing weapon and his left arm before he was shoved off and buzz-sawed back. Sideways had been practicing his close quarters maneuvers, if his vastly improved fighting style was any indication, and truthfully, Hawk was having trouble keeping up.

A half-dozen MA rounds perforated the armor of Sideways' knee and caused him to drop to a kneeling stance, both arms buzzing and cutting in Hawk's direction before swiping just over Caden's head as he ducked and rolled away. Another engine was heard from the forest, and a Lamborghini Egoista stormed out, transforming midair to tackle Sideways, pinning him to the ground by his back. A few seconds later, and he was completely restrained, but that didn't stop him from roaring in his struggles.

"Enough," Hawk barked, slamming his open palm into the side of Sideways' head. "You're going to talk," he hissed at his old rival. "You're going to tell me everything you know about the moon program, and you're going to tell me _now_."

Sideways grinned malevolently. "In your dreams," he taunted.

"Smokescreen…" Hawk's optics turned fierce. "Hold him down." The rookie Bot did so reluctantly, a little confused as to his mentor's intentions until he saw the data transfer cable. Sideways saw it too, but Hawk didn't care as he approached, a sinister smirk coming to his face. "I want you to know, I _despise _using this on sentients." He yanked open an interface port in the back of the Con's neck, attaching the cable and preparing a highly invasive and potent Cybervirus. "But for _you _I'm willing to make an exception."

Sideways roared in rage and pain as the virus burnt into his processor, worming its way into his deepest thoughts and memories and laying everything bare. He was completely suggestible and cooperative. If he were asked a question, he would hold nothing back.

"So," Hawk said when he was sure everything had run its course, "Apollo. Spill."

Sideways growled at him, but eventually answered. "That operation was Soundwave's pet project, not mine. My role was minor at best. Intimidation and surveillance. All I did was make sure our pet humans did what they were supposed to."

"So you don't know what Megatron was planning. His endgame. What was he hiding on the moon?"

"Ships," he spat out. "Dozens of warships, hundreds of fighters...and an entire invasion force of dormant Decepticons to man them."

A shudder of fear ran through all present.

"Why hasn't he used them yet," Caden asked. "He could conquer Earth four times over with that kind of firepower."

"I honestly don't know."

Hawk scowled and turned away, racking his processor for anything else, anything that could be used to anticipate Megatron's next move. Nothing came...except the burning, irrational gut feeling that he had had since the Ark was discovered. He turned to Sideways with slightly narrowed optics and spoke.

"Sentinel Prime. What do you know?" Sideways actually shuddered with the effort of attempting to resist the effects of the virus, but a quick stab of Hawk's blade into his shoulder put an end to that. "What do you know?!" he roared.

"We shot him down," he hissed in answer. "The ship drifted through space and landed on the moon."

"I already know all that. What I want to know is why you were chasing him in the _first_ place. What was your plan for him?"

An evil, mocking grin came to the assassin's face, one that sent a chill of dread through all present. "He _was_ the plan." He leaned closer to Hawk. "_Is _the plan."

And with that, everything fell into place. The disappearance from Cybertron late in the war. The discovery on the moon. The extreme measures the Decepticons took to hide the wreckage and the dark side from human view after the Apollo program. The fact that Megatron _waited_ for over forty years to execute his plan, whatever it was. All they knew for sure was that whatever this endgame was, the spacebridge was part of it, and since Sentinel was the only one who could use it, they needed something capable of reviving him: the Matrix of Leadership. Caden and Hawk locked gazes as this all dawned on them both, and a mutual expression of horror was shared.

"Hawk," Caden said, voice trembling slightly, "call Optimus. Call Optimus _now_."

He put a finger to his helm, activating comms. and pinging the DC area for Optimus, Bumblebee, for anyone who might be in a position to stop Sentinel. "No response. Slag!" He turned to Sideways, who was smiling widely as explosive fire crisscrossed the Autobots' position. They both transformed, Hawk allowing Caden to leap in before screeching off. "That fragger tipped them off! Soundwave's jamming all long-range communications in or out of DC!"

"Then how do we—"

"We drive like hell!" His quick shifting of gears and screeching turns affirmed this statement. "And pray we're not too late."

…

5 minutes later

5:53 PM

Washington, DC

Ironhide was listening to a series of flurried comm. bursts from Sideswipe, Dino, and Bumblebee, who had taken out one of the three Dreads while escorting Sentinel to NEST. The other two were still in pursuit, and 'Hide was more than willing to assist. He drove past Sentinel's fire truck form and his three Autobot escorts.

"Ironhide!" Sam shouted as he screeched past in Bee.

The weapons specialist charged straight toward the two Chevy Suburbans, his front bumper impacting with both of theirs in a head-on collision. As all three of them transformed, Ironhide flipped himself midair, angling to land gracefully on his feet while the two saboteurs spun haphazardly through the air, yelling in pain the whole way down. When they hit, they were quick to scramble to their feet, pulling weapons as Ironhide brandished his new cannons and Sideswipe skated in with his dual explosive blasters.

"Is there a...problem," Ironhide asked somewhat mockingly.

"Woah," Sides added. "Little Mexican standoff we got here."

"Weapons down," Ironhide ordered gently.

"And we'll let you escape with your dignity."

"Drop 'em."

Crankcase and Crowbar, the last two Dreads left, exchanged a look and a few phrases of Cybertronian before tossing their guns aside at the same time as their opponents.

"That's good," Ironhide said almost relaxingly.

Which is when Crowbar smiled and unsubspaced two spiked spears on his back. Pulling one off, he chucked it at Ironhide.

"Ironhide," Sideswipe warned, "watch out!"

The warning was in vain, as 'Hide yelped in pain when the weapon dug into his left shoulder. Crowbar threw the other spear at Sideswipe, who snapped out his swords and flipped backward, slashing the weapon in half and turning his landing into a spin as he kicked one of his blasters into the air.

"Ironhide, catch!"

He did so, and Crowbar lunged toward him in vain as a single high-explosive round blew his head apart. Two more shots tore into Crankcase's chest armor as the Con kicked Sideswipe to the ground before Ironhide ripped the spear in his own shoulder out and skewered his opponent through the head with it, using the weapon's shaft as leverage to dump him headfirst on a nearby car.

"Decepticon punk," he taunted, kicking him in the head and sending the vehicle and its cargo into an empty cafe, where they both exploded. He gathered up his cannons and remounted them to his back. "Class dismissed."

…

5:56 PM

Hawk, Caden, and Smokescreen had made it all the way to Tyson's Corner, even with over a dozen Vehicons and Combaticons in pursuit. But they were running out of time, and with so much fire coming in their direction, they weren't going to make it without stopping to shoot back in earnest. As they rounded yet another corner, Caden returning limited amounts of fire with his Daggertail, Smokescreen slammed on the brakes.

"What the hell are you doing, rookie," Hawk demanded over comms.

"Giving you a fighting chance," he responded determinedly. "If I slow them down, or at least draw some of them off, you might make it in time to stop him."

Hawk thought about this for a few moments before venting in resignation. "Give 'em hell, Smokescreen."

The young Bot's shift to Stealth Force mode and resultant fire patterns were all the answer he got as the partners left him behind.

"Is he gonna be okay," Cade asked.

"I trained him for the last six months, and he was an Elite Guard before that. What do you think?"

Caden gave a slight smile, ever-amazed at the confidence that his partner could give him despite the odds. A powerful jet engine overhead drew both of their focuses, but when the plane in question ended up being an F-35, not an F-22, both of their systems were jolted with renewed hope.

"Jetfire!" Hawk yelled over comms.

The Aerialbot banked and dove toward them, arcing up at the last second to strafe the roadway behind them, scattering Decepticons with his weapons fire. "What the Pit's going on? I'm getting reports of gunfire and mayhem in the city, but I can't reach anyone!"

"Soundwave. Jammer. Big problems. I'll fill you in later, I promise, but right now, I need you to spacebridge us to NEST."

"What? I don't under—"

"_Now_, Jetfire!"

He transformed in front of the slowing vehicle and prepared a spacebridge for them, opting to stay behind to mop up the Cons. Hawk didn't have time to argue otherwise before they vanished from the spot, leaving Jetfire's teleportation device to recharge. With that jamming still going, he was out of range, and they were on their own.

…

5:59 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

"Get inside! Let's go!"

"Lennox!" Sam shouted, climbing out of Bee and getting his attention.

"Go, go, go, go, go!" he yelled at his men, approaching Sam.

"We got Decepticons everywhere."

Lennox raised his hands in reassurance. "I've got my whole team deployed looking for them. Ironhide!" he shouted to the newly arrived Bot. "Protect Sentinel! Get him locked up inside!"

"Consider it done," 'Hide answered with a nod.

"Hey," Sam said, "you've got to guard him, 'cause he's the key to the whole thing."

Sentinel drew up to his full height after transforming and spoke. "Indeed I am. What you must realize, my Autobot brothers, is we were never going to win the war. For the sake of our planet's survival, a deal had to be made…with Megatron." Everyone present turned toward Sentinel except the Bot closest to him, the one assigned to protect him. Sentinel spun around at a speed that only an experienced warrior could pull off, raising his Cosmic Rust cannon and putting two shots through Ironhide's back.

Ironhide collapsed to the ground instantly, his hands grasping at his slowly but steadily deteriorating chassis. "What," he wheezed out painfully, "have you done?"

"I hereby discharge you from duty," Sentinel told him almost mockingly, raising his cannon for the final blow and leveling it at his chest when the furious growl of a powerful custom engine reached his audio receptors from the direction of the base's loading ramp…along with a feral roar.

"Sentineeeel!"

…

6:02 PM

He was right there…standing over who Hawk considered to be one of his closest friends…one of his _only_ friends. _And he's_ mine_._

"Take him!" Cade yelled in encouragement, an equally furious scowl on his face as he dove out of Hawk, tucking and rolling to a stop as his guardian and partner accelerated toward the traitorous Prime.

Sentinel spun to face him, firing his cannon at where he should have been and hitting empty pavement instead as Hawk transformed fifteen feet away, somersaulting into a powerful and near-vertical handspring that planted a double-kick on Sentinel's head. He kept rising, in slow-motion from the adrenaline-fueled viewpoint of Caden, deploying his left-hand blade and propeller-sawing a painful line through Sentinel's right shoulder as he arced over his head to his rear and spun midair, his right hand drawing and charging his fusion cannon to full power on the way down. He fell into a perfect kneeling crouch on impact, barely dodging a spinning horizontal swipe from Sentinel's sword and pointing the cannon directly at his chest. A powerful blast at point-blank range sent the Prime flying backward and yelling in pain, giving Hawk and Caden the time they needed to regroup.

Snapping himself out of his battle rage, Hawk looked at Ironhide and shuddered in horror as he saw what Sentinel's weapon was doing to him. "Bee!" he roared. "Sideswipe! Get him out of here, _now_!" Two explosive shots barely missed the former assassin as he dive-rolled away, dodging blasts from Sentinel and returning suppressing fire with his cannon. "Fall back! Ach!" A shot from the Prime sent corrosive particles onto his outer armor, but it was a glancing hit at most. He picked up Caden and rolled away from another salvo as Sentinel retreated into the underground recesses of the base's storage area. "Caden, let's go," he urged when his partner kept firing.

"What?!"

"Like you said, he's a Prime. We can't take him on without a significant advantage. Without Optimus, we don't stand a chance. We need to regroup."

"What about the pillars?!"

Hawk scowled in the direction of the base, his enemy out of range and sight. "Already gone." He returned his gaze to the human. "He's won this round."

Drake looked like he wanted to argue, but instead clenched his teeth and nodded, climbing into Hawk once he transformed and started driving away after a retreating Bumblebee and Sideswipe, who were escorting a truck carrying a wounded Ironhide.

"Caden," Hawk said agitatedly, "the base isn't empty."

Caden's eyes widened as he got his meaning and rapidly pulled up a blanket frequency over all NEST comms. "If there are any soldiers in the DC HQ, this is Consultant Caden Drake. Sentinel Prime has gone rogue and is coming for the spacebridge. He is coming for the pillars. You _cannot _stop him. I repeat, you _cannot _stop him! Do _not _engage him under _any_ circumstances, do you read? Does anyone copy?!" he asked desperately, slamming the dashboard furiously when no answer came. "Dammit!"

* * *

AN: And there's the first of several changes brought about by my characters. Will Ironhide survive in the absence of a killing blow? Will Hawk's interference somehow make things worse in the long run? You'll find out on Thursday, with the activation of the spacebridge and Battle of DC.

I really hope you all like how this is all playing out. I try, oh so very hard, to make my amendments as realistic as possible, so I desperately hope that this is making sense.

As always, please review and recommend.


	30. Exile

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Sentinel Prime…?

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Barricade

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

* * *

"If there are any soldiers in the DC HQ, this is Consultant Caden Drake. Sentinel Prime has gone rogue and is coming for the spacebridge. He is coming for the pillars. You _cannot _stop him. I repeat, you _cannot_ stop him! Do _not _engage him under _any _circumstances, do you read? Does anyone copy?!" he asked desperately, slamming the dashboard furiously when no answer came. "Dammit!"

…

4 minutes later

6:10 PM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

A red-and-blue semi drove through the front doors of the storage hangar, transforming and staring at the sheer carnage around him. He had been called to NEST as soon as the jamming signal over DC was lifted, although he was already close when that happened. Ratchet had been en-route as well, but was diverted when appalling news was delivered to them both. Ironhide had been critically injured, and he needed immediate medical attention if he was to survive. Now, as Optimus stood in what used to be NEST's storage building, a heavy weight unlike anything he had ever felt before fell on his spark.

"Yeah," said an irate female voice behind him, "take a look, Optimus! This is _all_ on you!"

"Sentinel hit the vault," someone else said. "Took the pillars."

"Come on," Lennox was saying, "let's go. All right, notify the 101st Airborne! We need to hunt this thing down!"

Optimus' fists clenched in barely restrained anguish. Mearing was right. He had trusted his old mentor and encouraged them to do the same…and _this_ had happened. Dozens of lives lost, maybe including Ironhide's. The weight on his spark intensified, along with a massive amount of pain and a twist of other emotions the intensity of which he hadn't felt in millennia. The feeling of betrayal. His faceplates twisted into a scowl, and he stormed out of the building, transforming and tapping into NEST comm. channels to find out exactly where Sentinel was going…and stop him.

…

6:16 PM

"Hey," Caden said in immense relief, "hey sweetheart…look, um…stay out of DC, okay?"

"Cade," Kara asked from the other end of the phone, her voice immensely concerned, "what's going on?"

He bit his lip. "Remember that trouble I mentioned yesterday? Well…it just hit the fan. Sentinel Prime's turned traitor…and he nearly killed Ironhide."

"Oh God…is he okay? Is he gonna make it?"

"I don't know, but Ratchet's with him now, and the fact that he's still working is some comfort."

"Means he hasn't given up hope."

"He won't until Ironhide is dead and gone, which is _not_ gonna happen." His voice was cracking slightly, and his transformed partner noticed as tears began to fill his eyes. A soft, metal touch ran across his back comfortingly, and Caden smiled slightly in response.

"Where are you now?"

"Right in the middle of it all. Sentinel's about to do something big, and we have to be here to stop him."

As if in direct answer to his statement, the air around the National Mall started to crackle with energy.

Drake cursed under his breath. "It's happening _now_! I'll call you back, I promise."

"Be careful."

He snapped the phone shut and motioned to Hawk, who transformed and sped off toward the no-doubt brewing fight.

…

6:19 PM

National Mall, Washington, DC

"Ah, my master!"

Megatron regarded his second-in-command with barely a glance, striding past him to inspect the so-called "Lincoln Memorial." As if any human was truly worth memorializing.

"Such a brilliant scheme," Starscream praised. "So when Sentinel left Cybertron, it was to defect?"

"He was meant to rendezvous with me here on Earth before fate waylaid us both." Megatron cocked his giant head slightly at the marble human's expression. "The only way to revive him…we needed Prime and his Matrix."

"Excellent strategy," Scream complimented as his master drew his fusion cannon and blasted the statue to pieces, mounting himself on the seat in its stead.

Off in the distance, Sentinel was deploying the five pillars he'd retrieved from NEST, scattering them all to opposite sides of the Mall, with the red control pillar still in his grasp.

"So," Starscream said, "he is now your partner, master?"

Megatron smiled slightly. "He is my greatest triumph."

"So impressive."

"Commencing transport," Sentinel said, causing the air to spark and crackle with the spacebridge's activation.

"Stop!" a voice said from afar.

Megatron smiled wider at hearing Optimus' voice and reveled in his former friend's desperation.

"No, no Sentinel!"

The former Autobot's response was almost muttered and barely heard.

"Forgive me."

And the air exploded with beams of blue light, creating a stable wormhole between that spot in DC and Megatron's reinforcements on the moon, all of whom were now activating after years of stasis.

"Here we are," Megatron mocked. "Fight us _now_."

…

6:24 PM

"Holy mother of—"

Hawk turned away from their approach on the Mall at the last second as assault rifle fire cut across the road from a newly arrived Combaticon. More and more were dropping out of the spacebridge portal every other second, some instantly taking Earth vehicle forms, others waiting to find the right fit. A ways off, he spotted a Constructicon scanning a garbage disposal truck and transforming into an exact replica of it before driving off. Hawk tried to arc back toward the portal, but the enemy fire was too thick, and he was headed off by an order that came over all Autobot comms.

…

6:26 PM

"Autobots," Optimus shouted into his comlink, "retreat!" He dashed forward, dodging a shot from Sentinel's drawn cannon and sprinting toward him in a tackle. When he bowled his former mentor over, his rage was almost instantly replaced by grief, and strength left his limbs. "Why, Sentinel, why?!"

Sentinel shoved him off and put his cannon to his former student's neck. "For Cybertron! For our home!" They struggled a few more seconds. "What war destroyed, we can rebuild, but only if we join with the Decepticons!" His blade went to Optimus' throat.

"No," he responded, shoving his sword-arm away, "it's not the only way! _This_ is our home! We must defend the humans!"

"So lost you are, Optimus," Sentinel scolded, shoving him back against a stone structure by his chest and putting his sword against him. "On Cybertron, we were gods." He pulled back and shifted his blade to an overhanded grip. "Here…they call us _machines_," he added with disdain before turning back to Optimus and putting his sword-point mere inches from his face. "Let the humans serve us, or perish!" Optimus didn't move, and Sentinel backed away. "You're lucky I didn't kill you. In time, you'll see."

Optimus muttered his answer in a determined, almost threatening tone as he turned to walk away. "It's not over."

…

2 hours later

8:31 PM

Sudley, VA

The front door of the three-story residence opened slowly, allowing a frazzled and haggard-looking Caden to stumble through into his girlfriend's arms. She held him tightly, staying there for a good minute as he shook slightly.

"They rolled right over us."

"There was nothing you could have done," she whispered comfortingly, turning her eyes to see Hawk's massive head just beyond the doorway, battle mask masking his features but optics clearly showing his feelings of guilt and grief. "Nothing _either_ of you could have done."

Hawk turned to her and locked gazes for a few moments before nodding stiffly and turning away, leaving the two to comfort each other while he brooded alone. His Lambo form guarded the front of the house in silent fuming for nearly an hour, almost _wishing_ that someone attacked so he could tear them limb from limb. The rumble of a motorcycle engine alerted him to an incoming contact, and his battle systems started going online until he realized it was a friendly.

"Arcee…what are you _doing_ here?" The question came out a lot harsher than he intended as she transformed and stood in front of him, her expression a study in comradely concern.

"Optimus sent me to check up on you when your signal vanished from DC," she answered simply, kneeling next to his car form. "He was worried."

"That's touching," Hawk said genuinely, but she could still hear slight bitterness in his tone.

She frowned more deeply. "Get up, will you? I don't like talking to you like this."

"Frankly, Arcee," he snarled, "I don't want to talk at _all_." He backed up slightly to emphasize this point. "You've made sure I'm okay, you've done your job. So go." He scowled internally at the sadness and pity on her features. "Don't you even _think _about feeling sorry for me! Unlike some people, _I _learned from the past."

"And Ironhide is still alive because of it," Arcee added with a slight smile, silencing the enraged Bot. "Ratchet says he's gonna pull through. Albeit, in critical condition, but still." They were both silent a few moments. "Chromia wanted to thank you in person, but…"

"She's right where she needs to be," Hawk said authoritatively, his voice much calmer than before, and Arcee knew in that moment that if Ironhide had died, Hawk would never have been able to live with himself. "And so am I."

"No arguments there," 'Cee responded, shifting to sit beside him and look toward the road. "Couldn't really find anywhere I needed to be, so…" She turned her head toward Hawk. "I'm kinda glad Optimus sent me here."

Hawk vented heavily and was silent for several minutes. "I'm sorry."

She smiled slightly. "Don't be. If I were in your position, I'd have said the same thing." She transformed into her bike mode and deployed her kickstand. "Mind if I stay here for the night?"

He barely hesitated. "No…I would…appreciate the company, actually."

"Glad to hear it."

…

Next day

4:02 AM

NEST headquarters, Washington, DC

Caden was pissed. P-I-S-S-E-D. Just over an hour ago, the "leader of the Autobots," Sentinel Prime, had sent a message to the leaders of the world calling for the immediate and non-negotiable exile of the "Autobot rebels" to create "peace" between their races for the duration of Cybertron's rebuilding effort. It was a bald-faced lie, and it seemed like nobody knew it except him and Sam, who was looking…feverish today.

"We'll debrief you in transit," Mearing told Sam as she stood in the middle of a room with rows upon rows of analysis.

"Yeah," Sam said somewhat hurriedly, "I really don't see how I can be of any help. I mean, you guys seem pretty busy. We could just do this another time, I think. Ow—"

Caden's expression turned confused at his sudden change of heart, as well as the way he seemed to seize out.

"I have underestimated you at every turn," Mearing said.

Drake scowled at her from some distance off. _You_ think_?!_

"Wuh—what?"

"You warned us that they were using humans, and you knew that Sentinel was the key."

"Who am I? Hey, you're the expert. I'm just a walking security risk—" Sam seized again, his face turning red.

"Are you all right?"

"Mhm, yes."

"No you're not. You're sweating."

"I'm—I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm sweating because I'm nervous. I'm nervous because you got me in here with this information. Okay, I'm a Twitter junkie. I blog everything. I can't keep a secret to save my life."

Caden actually gaped at Sam. This was _not_ the confident, determined man he had met two days ago. It was like he was back to being a scared 18-year-old fresh into college.

"Oh, you wouldn't dare," Mearing warned.

"That's the truth, I'm telling you."

Drake turned away in disgust and anger, not at Sam, but at the whole situation. Things had gone from bad to worse in less than 24 hours, and the worst part? The government was actually _considering_ Sentinel's terms. _Scratch that, _he thought with a scowl as he listened to an active newscast.

"Just moments ago, legislation was passed to exile the Autobots from American shores. The U.S. military alliance with them is officially over. In the words of the House Majority Leader—"

Caden growled and threw his knife into the television, shattering its LCD screen and drawing several surprised heads in his direction. A death glare to just two of them sent them all back to whatever they were doing before.

"And people wonder," he muttered as he yanked his knife from the device, "why I _hate_ government."

"Okay," Mearing said from behind. "It's official. It's a go, people."

"These are our allies," Sam was spouting out. "The Autobots fought for us. They fought with us."

"And where are we now? Facing an enemy invasion with an enemy that has the means to deploy countless more."

"And you think that's their fault?"

The voice drew both of their gazes to its source, a fuming Caden Drake. "You never liked the Autobots to _begin _with, so why _wouldn't _you hesitate in shipping them off?"

"It's out of my hands," Mearing defended.

Caden smirked mockingly. "Even if it weren't, you'd do it in a heartbeat. I've known that from the beginning." He started to walk away, moving toward one of the hangars. "And I'm done playing by your rules."

…

2 hours later

6:15 AM

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Hawk had gone with the rest of the Autobots from DC, but Jetfire himself had offered to fly Caden down to Florida, where the Xanthium was being prepared to ship them offworld. Cade had been silent the whole time, but patted the dashboard every so often in appreciation. He had given Kara a call just a few hours earlier, telling her the news. She had given him a little of her own.

"Caden," she had said, a slight tremble in her voice, "I've gotten news from Trevor Korde."

"Okay?"

"He says there's been increased Talon activity lately."

Caden had snarled. "Well of course there has. The Cons are finally winning, which means all the rats are coming out of hiding."

"Trevor's coming to the States. He thinks whatever Carmine has planned is going to work in conjunction with Sentinel's 'reconstruction' initiative."

"That…doesn't sound good."

"No," she had agreed, "it doesn't. I'm calling all hands on deck."

"Meaning?"

"You'll see. Meet you in Florida."

Now, he was on the tarmac approach to the Autobots' launch platform, walking toward Hawk and Optimus, who were in what looked like a very animated—and heated—discussion.

"There has to be another way, Prime. You _know_ the Decepticons won't honor their agreement. Leaving will serve no one but Megatron."

Caden noticed that he specifically _didn't _mention Sentinel, despite the fact that he was the one who had called for their exile.

"What would you have me do," Optimus asked, his voice heavy with sorrow. "If we stay, Megatron will order the slaughter of the humans."

"He'll slaughter them anyway! Primus _knows_ they can't stop him!"

"Their leaders have spoken, Hawk. It would be against everything I stand for to dishonor that request."

"In time of war, sacrifices have to be made for the good of all. In this case, I'm willing to say 'screw honor' if it means preventing genocide."

"Perhaps if we had truly consolidated our forces, assaulted the Decepticons in Washington, matters would be different."

"Or maybe," Hawk hissed angrily, jabbing an accusing finger against his chestplates, "if you have taken my advice and kept a closer optic on your old mentor, we wouldn't even _be _here, and Ironhide wouldn't be fighting for his life!"

Optimus actually grimaced at that, turning away slightly as Hawk did the same, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a moment to calm himself. Caden couldn't believe how badly they were arguing, and he found himself in limbo, unable to support either his partner or his longtime mentor.

"Look," Hawk started as calmly as he could, "I know you're already feeling guilty about trusting Sentinel, so I'm sorry, but…now is not the time for self-pity. You cannot afford to honor the humans' request. Not this time."

"We are leaving, Hawk."

The former Decepticon assassin stepped back once and set his features. "I'm not."

Optimus turned to him, his expression set. "_That _is an order."

Hawk crossed his arms defiantly. "No offense, Prime, but…" he smiled mirthlessly, leaning his head forward and hissing, "to _hell_ with orders. Megatron ordered me to break into one of your outposts, and Sideways almost killed me. You ordered us to trust Sentinel, and Ironhide almost died. I think I've finally realized exactly why Caden doesn't take orders from _anyone_."

"If the Autobots do not leave Earth, the Decepticons will unleash their full wrath on the humans."

"And if we do, they'll have no chance for a future. If this is really your decision, then I'm done." Hawk turned around and walked away, catching Caden's disbelieving features in his peripheral vision. "I won't abandon them…even if you will." He transformed and drove off, easily avoiding and ditching the NEST personnel that tried to bar his path.

Caden kept staring off after his dust cloud, returning his gaze to Optimus with some difficulty. The look of pure grief on his face was almost enough to break the man as he strode up within six feet of him. "Optimus…he's right, you know. They're not gonna leave us alone." When he looked up, Caden saw a tight-lipped expression on the Prime's face as he nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I know. From now on, however…this fight must be yours, and yours alone."

Caden felt like the wind had just been punched out of him. He tried for words, but all that came out were stuttering sobs.

Optimus crouched and gently ran a finger over his shoulder. Caden reached up and grasped the metal digit tightly.

"Don't…leave."

His voice was so quiet that Optimus almost didn't hear him, but the body-wracking sobs were unmistakable, and he gently picked up his human friend, holding him gingerly against his chestplates. "I am sorry, but we must. Caden…your friendship has been a true light to me in these dark times, and…I can never thank you enough for that." His desperate cries were so unexpected and out of character that Optimus actually feared for his well-being. His voice became extremely quiet. None of the humans off in the distance could even tell he was speaking unless they looked at his moving lips. "Stay with Hawk. If his choice is to remain here, then you must make every effort to help him." The tone of his voice was strange, almost…conspiratorial.

Caden looked up at him, eyes red and cheeks stained with fallen tears as another couple of sobs wracked his frame. The look in Optimus' optics sent a message that he only wanted Caden to hear. "I will," he said determinedly, his features setting. "This is _my_ planet…and _they_ can't have it."

Optimus smiled ever-so-slightly as he let him down to the ground. "Go see Que. I believe he has a parting gift for you."

The way he said it left no room for doubt in Caden's mind, and he gave the Autobot leader one last nod before doing as he said. He found the inventor near the entrance ramp of the Xanthium, tinkering with something absently, his expression dejected. "Hey Que."

His blue optics drifted upward, and for a moment, the pall on his features seemed to lift. "Hey there, Cade. Optimus send ya?" His nod prompted Que to pull something from his subspace. "Here ya go. My last gift to ya."

Caden took the object and hefted it, feeling about ten pounds of weight. "What…is it?"

"Mount it on yer chest and you'll see."

He pressed the 2-inch-thick, disc-like object to his chest, and to his surprise, a series of metal arms extended from it, wrapping around his torso and keeping itself there.

"Now press the button in the center."

Caden did so, depressing a round button with Cybertronian markings on it, his palm pushing against the metal until it gave. And then the whole thing started to shift. The chest and back pieces kept expanding outward until every inch of his body save his head was completely encased in metal. He could feel a curved piece of the armor pressing against the back of his neck. "Woah," he breathed.

"Thought ya might like it. It'll stand up to most Decepticon firearms, but I wouldn't suggest subjecting yerself to sustained fire."

Caden nodded. "Of course." He moved his limbs around, testing his range of movement and finding it to be not in the least impaired. "Incredible."

"Now," Que said, bringing his face close to Caden's, "there are a lot of features in this thing, and I don't have time to run ya through 'em all, but I built in fully automated tutorials that should give you all the instruction ya need. Just need to deploy the helmet section."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Okay?"

"The most important part of this exosuit is the neural net. Just think about the helmet."

He did so, concentrating on that until the metal collar of the suit shifted and deployed a full helmet over his features, with two sealed eyeslits. "Woah…that's…Que, you've outdone yourself."

A small smile came to his face. "Glad you approve. Remember, just think about anything you need, and the neural net will respond in kind."

Caden nodded slowly, hesitating a long time before speaking. "Que, I'm—"

"Don't you worry yourself over it, laddie. There was nothin' you could do."

"So people keep reminding me," he muttered. "Goodbye." Unable to say anything more, he walked out of the assembly area and spotted a tearful Elizabeth Hunter saying her goodbyes to Smokescreen, who looked no more pleased about the situation than her. One last look exchanged with Optimus, who was talking to Sam, and Caden walked away to find Hawk, unable to stay there any longer.

…

6:30 AM

"Sorry you had to see that."

Caden sighed heavily as he got in the car, elbow against an armrest as he put his hand over his face. "I get what you're saying, Hawk…and I'm here to help."

"I know. That was always the plan."

Caden's eyes snapped to the radio, a gut feeling he'd had a little while ago rising with every passing second. "What do you mean?"

Hawk's holoform appeared next to him with a wide smile.

Caden's eyes widened. "Wait…that whole argument was staged, wasn't it?" Relief washed over him as Hawk nodded.

"Prime needed a Bot on the ground, but we needed a way to do it without violating the agreement."

"Which means you had to get someone to break with the Autobots."

"And who better than an infamously insubordinate former Decepticon?"

Caden smiled broadly, breathing a sigh of relief. "I almost thought I'd made a mistake when I thought Optimus was sending me a message."

Hawk shook his head. "You didn't."

A massive explosion turned both of their heads toward the sky.

"Damn," Hawk breathed out.

The Xanthium was…gone. No more than spare parts, parts that were raining down from the sky in charred chunks.

"Hawk," Caden said, half in a panic, "tell me they weren't—"

"They weren't," he assured with certainty. "Optimus expected something like this might happen."

Caden sighed in relief and climbed into Hawk's driver seat as his holoform vanished, shifting into first gear and accelerating. "When are they coming back?"

Hawk was silent a while. "One week."

Caden's eyes widened. "One…_week_? What _exactly _are they waiting for?" Before Hawk could answer, Drake's phone rang loudly, and he picked it up without looking. "Hello?"

"Cade," Sam's voice said from the other end, somewhat broken, "I need to meet with you. Get to Melbourne as fast as you can, okay?"

"Got it, but Sam—" The line went dead before Caden could speak further.

…

10 minutes later

Melbourne, FL

"Sam!"

He and a wheelchair-seated Simmons turned to an approaching Caden, noticing the gray Lamborghini parked behind him.

"You made it," Sam said. "We just traced the cell."

Drake's eyebrows furrowed. "What cell?"

"Okay," Dutch said from the side, "it's Chicago cell sites. There, I've got it. Trump Tower, Chicago. Lower penthouse."

"You want to explain to me what the hell's going on?"

"Carly's been taken," Sam said. "That's the location of the guy that took her."

Caden's eyes narrowed. "Human?"

"Yeah. Name's Dylan Gould." Sam could almost see the relief on Caden's face when he told him his name.

"Okay, so…Chicago."

"Ground zero right now. Whatever the Decepticons are doing, it's gonna go down there." Sam hesitated a moment. "I'm going."

"You sure," Simmons asked.

"She's done nothing but try to help me, and I can be there in 15 hours."

"You're not goin' alone," a voice said from behind.

Caden turned to see Epps standing there, looking at the four of them.

"I still got my NEST friends out there. I'll round 'em up, we'll find your girlfriend, we're gonna bring this guy in."

"Why are you helping me," Sam asked.

Epps gave him a firm look. "'Cause that asshole killed my friends too."

Caden raised a hand. "Hold off on that."

"What," they asked in unison.

He raised both hands placatingly. "Please, hear me out. Whatever they're planning, it's not gonna happen right away. Give me a week." Sam's eyes widened, and he looked about ready to go ballistic. "Please, give me one week to get inside the city, confirm if she's even there and possibly get her out. It'll be a lot easier for me to do it than you. If I don't contact you within a week's time, then bring the rain, because it either means that Chicago's so badly locked down that I can't get a message out…or I'm dead."

Sam looked ready to argue, but nodded slowly as an SUV pulled up next to Hawk. Three familiar figures stepped out, followed by one that Caden hadn't seen in a long, long time.

He gasped slightly when he saw her. "Aria?"

The dirty blonde smiled at him. "So all it takes is a world-ending cataclysm to get you to visit me?"

Caden sighed and shut his eyes, striding toward her and pulling the shorter girl into a tight hug. "You have…no idea how good it is to see you."

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and pulled away, joining Kara, Liz, and Trevor next to the car.

Caden nodded to them and turned back to Sam. "I won't be alone. Trust me, Sam," he ordered, putting a hand on his shoulder, "if she's there, I'll find her."

Sam was glad he didn't say, "If she's still alive."

"Then go," he said.

Caden nodded and extended a hand to Simmons and Dutch, shaking both of theirs before mounting into Hawk with Kara and driving off, the SUV in tow holding Korde, Liz, and Aria. Caden called them, patching Hawk into the conversation.

"So what's the plan," he asked his guardian.

"Other than finding the girl and getting her to safety?"

"Other than that. You said Optimus needed a Bot on the ground."

"Wait," Liz cut in skeptically, "the Autobots are dead."

"No," Hawk answered, "they're not. We never intended to leave, but your government insisted on the point. It may seem cruel, but we're letting the Cons have their way…for now."

"Why," Korde demanded.

"Because," Caden answered, "without seeing what 'appeasement' gets them, the government will never understand that you _cannot _negotiate with Decepticons any more than you can with terrorists."

"So you'll sacrifice dozens, hundreds of innocents, just to prove a point?"

"I'm not saying it's not distasteful," Hawk answered, "but…there really is no other way. If we interfere now, the government will hunt and vilify us. Only when they fully realize their mistake will they accept our help."

"But," Caden interjected, "that doesn't mean we're not gonna do something now."

Hawk rumbled underneath him. "What did you have in mind?"

Drake's eyes narrowed as a malevolent smirk came to his face. "A resistance." A universal rumble of approval came from everyone on the call. "I'm not saying it's not going to be ultra-dangerous, but…if we can keep even a handful of people safe from the Decepticons, if we can weather this storm until we get relief…then at least we'll have done _something_ to make a difference."

There was silence for a long time before Aria spoke up with determination. "I think I speak for everyone when I say 'we're in.'"

Caden smiled. "Good."

His hand hit the shifter and his foot the gas pedal, accelerating even faster as they drove toward Decepticon-occupied Chicago.

* * *

AN: I know it wasn't a week's time between the Xanthium's explosion and Sam's entrance into Chicago, but it seemed unrealistic to me that it would take only 15 hours for the Decepticons to lock down an entire city, no matter how much firepower and numbers they had. Even so, scattering hundreds of pillars across the globe would take time, especially since most of the Cons couldn't fly on their own power.

Hope you liked this chapter and are looking forward to more. I have quite a few things in mind for the Battle of Chicago.

As always, please review and recommend.

P.S.: It took me way less time than I thought it would to write the DOTM arc, so until it's finished, I'll be releasing once a day.


	31. Resistance

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Sentinel Prime

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Barricade

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

As I understand it, subspace is an alternate dimension that is accessed by Cybertronians for storage of weapons, supplies, and other items. Just so it's clear.

* * *

"What did you have in mind?"

Drake's eyes narrowed as a malevolent smirk came to his face. "A resistance." A universal rumble of approval came from everyone on the call. "I'm not saying it's not going to be ultra-dangerous, but…if we can keep even a handful of people safe from the Decepticons, if we can weather this storm until we get relief…then at least we'll have done _something _to make a difference."

There was silence for a long time before Aria spoke up with determination. "I think I speak for everyone when I say 'we're in.'"

Caden smiled. "Good."

His hand hit the shifter and his foot the gas pedal, accelerating even faster as they drove toward Decepticon-occupied Chicago.

…

6 days later

4:10 PM

Chicago, IL

2 years after the death of the Fallen

Chicago had fallen. Decepticon warships and their corresponding fighters had cut off all forms of air support and effectively formed a blockade outside the city, preventing most traffic in or out and executing random terror raids on the populace. The worst of these were the ones headed by the Insecticons. Many had learned the hard way just how sadistic Sharpshot was, as he often captured humans just to torture them to death. Ground troops had set up checkpoints around the city, and anyone caught outside had a fifty-fifty chance of being gunned down by passing Decepticons. At least, that was the way it was for the first day after Sentinel ordered the lockdown. Now, the joint Decepticon leaders were getting reports of resistance, actual resistance. Rumors and stories abounded about a rogue Autobot wreaking havoc on their troops and tearing through their patrols, and of a metal human with the power of flight and the fight of a Terrorcon.

It was this human who was perched on the 80th floor of a high-rise in downtown Chicago, peering down at a squadron of four fighters with a large, long device on his shoulder. _Gotcha,_ he thought as his weapon's beeps turned constant, hitting the firing button once and sending a high-velocity Javelin missile streaking toward one of the ships. It exploded brilliantly, sending its target falling toward the ground in a brilliant cloud of scrap and debris. The other three immediately turned toward the source and began firing their autocannons at the building, high-caliber bullets crisscrossing through the glass, missing their target by inches, in some cases. The man sprinted the length of the building, drawing a weapon from his right hip and firing several high-velocity rounds in their direction.

As he neared the end of his run, his palm smacked his chest, causing metal plates to shift from under his jacket and slowly but surely encase his entire body before he leapt through a window, free-falling until his thoughts drifted to a controlled descent. Of course, he didn't intend on descending right away. The Decepticon fighters in pursuit cursed in Cybertronian when they saw the jetpack activate and its user fall into a wild evasive pattern. The three of them formed a wedge formation and crisscrossed their fire, missing him just barely as he rounded the corner of a building and arced into a steep climb, cutting his jetpack a second later.

Caden's fingers splayed outward as he focused on something in his arm plating, just forward of his elbow, causing the plates to open and two devices to form out of the subspaces underneath, spinning on tracks to land in his hands as his free-fall brought him right to his targets. 4mm depleted energon rounds spat out of his weapons at a breakneck speed, cutting into the cockpit of a fighter and damaging the Con inside as he fell past their formation. He arced back into the air, dodging more auto fire from the last two before turning his right hand toward them and clenching his last three fingers, deploying a missile launcher on the top of his right arm and firing it into one of their engines. The fighter fell toward the street as his partner kept up pursuit. Caden returned fire with his Que-made machine pistols, barely dodging the pursuing shots and putting brief cover between himself and the fighter.

A stray shot from his pursuer hit his jetpack and knocked his flight systems out temporarily. Panic flashed through him as he saw a 45-second reboot timer, spreading his limbs outward to provide air resistance and angling his body to act as an air brake. The attacking Decepticon didn't realize what he was doing until Caden pulled a sword from his back and stabbed it into his cockpit release lever, forcing it open and firing into his head several times. The Con drew his assault rifle from the holster next to him and fired a few shots, missing Caden as he leapt toward his shoulder. The energon sword thrust downward, causing a cry of pain to come from its victim as the blade stabbed into his shoulder. A glancing slap with his right hand knocked the armored human off, sending him flying toward the back of the ship.

His Cybertanium knife was drawn and stabbed into the rear fuselage of the craft, keeping him anchored as he yelled under the strain. A thought occurred to him as he realized how close he was to an engine, and he pulled a magnetic explosive off his armored hip, placing it on the assembly and arming it before using the knife as an anchor to pull himself up. The timer of the explosive ticked down from 6 as he scrambled to his feet, sheathed his knife, and charged toward the Con, leaping over his shoulder to grab his sword on the way down, pulling it free as he free-fell. He performed a smooth triple-flip midair as his opponent re-angled the ship only to explode a split-second later, his limbs spreading outward as he focused on another feature of his suit.

A light, metallic-framed polymer wingsuit deployed from the hollows of his arms and legs, turning his uncontrolled descent into a smooth glide as his proximity sensors alerted him to another contact. The Con he'd damaged at the beginning of the fight streaked around the corner, firing madly as Caden spotted a half-destroyed building, its top 20 floors tilted over at a 90-degree angle and resting between two buildings. He smiled and angled himself toward it, tucking his arms and legs in as he achieved the right speed and angle, shooting through the space between buildings as his pursuer smacked his left gun into the side of one, crashing beautifully a moment later as Caden's flight systems were restored, carrying him away from Decepticon patrols and back to his base of operations.

…

30 minutes later

4:44 PM

Caden strode through an abandoned subway tunnel, reaching his destination a few minutes after entering and breathing a sigh of relief as two armed men greeted him, a familiar brunette behind them.

"Cade!" she shouted, a relieved smile on her face as she embraced him.

"Hey, Liz. How are things?"

She smiled lightly and nodded toward the inside of the structure. "See for yourself."

He followed her into their makeshift base, an underground parking garage tucked away from the majority of Decepticon checkpoints and search parties. Around him, in tents and other makeshift shelters, were over a hundred Chicago refugees, scared and displaced by the enemy occupation, most of whom were personally found and saved by Caden and his team. To his left, Drake saw Trevor Korde drilling over a dozen ex-military fighters and police in anti-Decepticon tactics, Kara jumping in every few seconds to add her two cents, having taken on many more than him.

"How are our food stores," he asked.

"More than adequate. That last run was risky, but the yield was more than worth it. We have enough to feed these people for a month."

"You _do_ know we won't need that long," he whispered to her.

She pursed her lips and nodded slightly. "Yeah, but _they_ don't know that."

"All about perception."

Liz nodded again.

"Cade!"

The walking pair turned toward the source of the voice, a shorter Irish man by the name of Clyde, as he jogged toward them, his expression somewhat frazzled. Clyde had been serving as both their quartermaster and chief medical officer, having been a field medic in the British Army, and as such, his responsibilities were twofold and very stressful. Liz had been helping where she could, but the medical matters were, quite frankly, beyond her.

"What's wrong," Caden asked firmly, concern in his features.

Clyde's face fell even further. "It's…Chloe."

Drake's eyes flashed momentary panic. "What happened?"

"Nothing…yet." He hesitated a moment. "Her inhaler's empty."

Caden pressed his lips together.

"She had a minor panic attack earlier, and Lizzie calmed her down, but…I'm afraid it'll only take a rumble in the wrong place or an attack anywhere near here and…"

"You're afraid you won't be able to bring her back." Caden's face sagged in pity at Clyde's nod.

"I know you just went out, and you're probably tired—"

"None of that matters," he cut him off. "_This_ is why I'm here. Why _we're _here." Caden put a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take care of it." His fast legs took him toward the drilling fighters, and his eyes drifted absently over the group, taking note of their vastly improved form. "Kara." He nodded toward the front exit when he got her attention.

"What's up?"

"It's Chloe. She's out of medicine again."

Kara's features sharpened in focus. "Got it. Let's go."

Caden retrieved a trenchcoat from his tent and put it on over his retracted Exosuit, hiding the metal from plain view as they stepped out onto the war-torn streets of the "Windy City." A ten-minute walk brought them to the nearest pharmacy, where they had visited several times over the last six days to retrieve items for Clyde. This time, however, their run wouldn't go without incident. The moment Caden opened the front door, he found the barrel of a loaded Glock 23 in his face.

"Turn around," the man holding it said, "and go back now."

Caden knew he could take this guy down in a heartbeat, but he hadn't greeted a human in this city with violence yet, and he wasn't about to start then. "Look," he said, raising his hands, "I just need albuterol. It's for a little girl with asthma. Just let me get the meds and some supplies, and I'll be gone."

"Maybe you didn't hear me the first time. I said get the hell out."

He thrust the gun barrel against Caden's chest, and although he couldn't see behind him, Drake knew Kara was restraining herself from breaking this man in two. "I know you're scared, man, but this isn't going to help. I'm one of the good guys."

"I don't care if you're a god-damned angel. Get out!"

It was clear that, since they had never run into anyone in this place before, this man was not the store's owner, and the fact that he was barring their way was starting to make Caden's blood boil. "A girl's life is on the line here. You really want that on your conscience?"

"Fuck you!"

Caden scowled and disarmed him instantly, punching his jaw so hard in his anger, he could almost hear a crack as he was decked. "You miserable son of a bitch," he hissed. "Are you really so desperate and selfish as to turn on your own kind? The enemy—" he hauled the man upright and shoved him against a window, where several fighters could be seen on patrol, "—is out there! It's them and us. We don't have the time or numbers to fight each other and still have any _chance_ of surviving the Decepticons, so if all you're gonna do is hoard and threaten anyone who's desperate and looking for help, I might as well just throw you to them, because your blind selfishness is gonna get someone killed." Caden dismantled and unloaded the gun, scattering the pieces in several directions as the man regained his footing. "Go home," he ordered. "Now."

The man looked panicked as he looked at the disassembled gun. "How am I supposed to defend myself against one of those things?"

"You're not," Caden answered callously as he turned toward the store's inside. "Run."

"What about humans sticking together?"

He shrugged. "You obviously don't care, so why should I? You're on your own."

Kara stared at him sideways as he packed a duffel bag with medicine, taking care to put at least three bottles of asthma medication in it as she did the same with basic first aid supplies.

"Sorry," he said.

"For what?"

He nodded toward where the man had been. "For losing it. I'm just so sick and tired of people's idiocy putting innocents in danger." He stopped what he was doing for a moment. "This is exactly the kind of crap my parents taught me to fix."

Kara smiled and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Then you don't have to apologize. Frankly, I think you handled it better than I would have."

"Hm."

They packed in silence for another minute before familiar rough voices reached their ears. Caden and Kara exchanged a look before diving for cover in opposite directions, barely ducking the storm of automatic shots that cut through the building. Caden drew his Sig and opened fire on the two Decepticon attackers, suppressing them as Kara scrambled to her feet.

"Roof!" he yelled, motioning toward a staircase in the back of the store.

"Come on," she shouted when she reached the stairwell, "I'll cover you!"

He sprinted toward her, staying low as she unloaded an MP5K with trilithium explosive rounds, storming up the stairs with Kara in tow. When they reached the door to the roof, they both stormed through, sprinting across the rooftops and leaping from the pharmacy to another building as they spotted three Decepticons climbing the structure.

"Run!"

The three Cons got to their level and started running after them, reminding Caden of his first encounter with them in Phoenix. _Except I disarmed that one. _Assault rifle fire crisscrossed the rooftops, barely missing the two humans until a single high-velocity round pierced the chest of one. The protoform collapsed in pain as his two comrades looked for the source. One was kneecapped and the other had his shoulder pierced and corresponding arm severed as Hawk's right hand was seen aiming over the side of the roof Caden and Kara were on. He holstered the weapon and reached out with his hand.

"Come on!"

They ran to him and climbed into his grip, stomachs dropping as he leapt three stories and rolled, transforming on his way up and driving madly with them in his seats. As they rounded a corner, a Decepticon checkpoint came into sight, and panic laced through both humans.

"Hold on, you two." Hawk shifted to Stealth Force mode, gunning his engine and firing his SMGs and pistols in tandem, scattering suppressing fire across the structure and forcing the Cons inside to duck for cover as he jumped over it, driving off at a breakneck speed and spotting two fighters closing in from above. "Slag." He drifted around a corner, barely dodging airborne auto-fire and accelerating heavily as Caden reached for his back and activated his retracted suit's subspace, pulling his Daggertail from it and aiming out Hawk's open window.

MA rounds slammed into the engine armor of one, cutting away at the fuselage as Kara did the same with her MP5. The ship spun out of control and nearly slammed into its comrade, who angled his engines upward and spun to dive back down in pursuit.

"Hawk, lose 'im in that garage!"

"I see it." The Autobot Infiltrator turned his wheels at a sharp angle, driving up the entrance ramp of the building and dodging more fire from the hovering fighter, who was circling the building in a spiral. When they got to the top floor, Hawk deployed his fusion cannon and blew a hole through a wall, accelerating to max speed and kicking in nitro to effectively fly toward the fighter. The Con opened fire as Hawk transformed, one hand holding his human friends as his right drew the Sword of Primus, shifting it to an underhanded grip midair as he arced over the ship. The blade bisected both fighter and pilot in a burning line of death, causing Hawk to subspace the Sword and transform again, driving for an unoccupied subway station and using the underground system to lose their pursuers.

Twenty minutes later, and they were back home. Caden leapt from the car, toting the duffel bag and giving Hawk a quick pat of thanks before sprinting off to find Clyde, fearing for Chloe because of the attack. To his relief, she was breathing normally, albeit a bit heavily, as he handed off the medicine and gave the girl a quick smile. As he strode away from her tent, breathing heavily in relief, he went to find Hawk, who had transformed and was cleaning his weapons.

"Hey," he called.

"Hey," Hawk answered with a tight-lipped smile.

Caden leaned against his leg and thought in silence. His Autobot partner had been collecting intel on the Decepticons all week, scouting the city's defenses and getting estimates of their strength and strategic orientation. Within the first day in the city, Caden had gotten a bird's-eye view of Trump Tower and managed to verify Carly's safety, but the sheer amount of Decepticons in the area prevented him from getting to her. As expected, there was a long-range jamming field over the city, and he was unable to get a signal out to Sam. Flying out was not an option due to the blockade, and he had another mission to perform anyway. He had already given Sam the week-long deadline, and had to trust that he'd come when he'd said. _Him and Optimus both._

After the initial rescue of several refugees, Caden and the others had made it a point to find out if Talon Company had any presence in the city. Thus far, there was nothing, and considering their increased movement a few days earlier, their absence was both surprising and worrying. Returning his thoughts to the present, Caden looked up at his guardian and spoke.

"Thanks for the rescue."

Hawk shook his head slightly as he put on a reprimanding expression. "You shouldn't have been so careless."

"Didn't have much of a choice, Hawk. Chloe ran out of meds."

At the mention of the breathing-impaired girl, Hawk quieted and nodded his head in understanding. "Just…try to be more careful. If you'd been killed, Cade…" He shook his head at the thought. "I don't know what I'd have done."

A thought occurred to his partner. "And if I hadn't been? If I'd been captured?"

Hawk snorted. "That's an easy one. I'd kick myself into gear and save your ass."

"Not at the cost of yours," Caden said firmly.

"Cade—"

"I mean it, Hawk." He motioned to the base's population. "One of us needs to be here for these people, no matter what. If I hadn't been here to get that medication for Chloe, she could have died for lack of breath."

"I feel for her, but—"

"No buts, Hawk. Duty comes first…always."

Hawk huffed and threw his hands up. "Primus, Caden, you sound like _me_ when we first met."

Caden smiled at him. "I take that as a compliment."

Hawk's optics narrowed as he crouched in front of his partner. "Don't. I almost let the Cons have you once because I thought like that, and I swear on the Allspark, I'll never let that happen again. Like you said once, family sticks together…and if I might add, partners never leave partners behind. Ever." He gave Caden's shoulder a firm thump with his index. "That's a promise."

"I…" Caden sighed and looked away for a few moments before smiling gently. "Thank you."

The Autobot smiled and nodded at him, drawing up to his full height and turning away before a thought occurred to him. "Oh, Kara wanted to see you in your tent."

Caden furrowed his eyebrows and nodded, turning to check up on Clyde and their stores.

Aria was there helping him catalog it all, and gave Caden a smile as he approached. "Cade," she said warmly, hugging him tightly. "How are you doing?"

He gave her a weary smile. "Tired, but still going. Have to until this is all over." He nodded toward a shelf. "How are our supplies?"

"Far as medicine goes," Clyde answered from behind a shelf, "we can last a couple of weeks on this stuff."

Caden smiled. "That's what I want to hear."

"Oh," Clyde said, reaching into his pocket and smiling at him, "one more thing." He strode up to Caden and stood there for a moment, fingers wrapped around something. "Chloe wanted to thank you." He dropped the item into Drake's outstretched hand.

"Oh," Cade breathed in shock as he looked at Chloe's gift, covering his mouth with his empty hand. In his palm was a small, metal ring made of beautifully interlaced silver wire, the ends of it melted together at a single point, an intricate gemstone pattern engraved into the half-sphere. "She…created this?"

Clyde nodded with a grin. "Spent every spare moment since coming here on it."

Caden just stood there, staring at it with stinging eyes. Chloe had been rescued in the middle of a Decepticon raid, from an apartment building near the center of the city. Both her parents had been cut down by rifle fire when the Cons ripped a hole in the side of their building. Two soldiers had leapt into the new entrance and searched the place for the asthmatic girl, her quiet whimpers leading them to her bed. As they had tossed the object off of her and leveled weapons on her eleven-year-old frame, the furious roar of an Autobot had reached her ears, heralding the Cybertanium blades that slashed into the chassis of one as Hawk dragged him out of the building.

The other Decepticon had growled and pointed his weapon as 4mm depleted energon rounds slashed across his torso, an armored Caden descending and landing between his legs, drawing his sword and slashing through his knee with the added strength his suit provided. Chloe had watched in amazement as the armored human tore through his titanic opponent with finesse and grace, climbing up his arm and spinning midair to take his head off with a horizontal slash. When he landed, he had turned to her and retracted both helmet and sword, striding over to her and crouching down in front of her curled-up form.

"Hey, sweetie," he'd said, a small, comforting smile on his face. "You okay?" When she hadn't answered, he'd retracted his armored gloves and put a hand on her cheek. "It's okay now. You're safe."

She'd curled up even tighter and whimpered, "Daddy."

Caden's smile had vanished as he looked around, finding two charred corpses not far from where she was. The breath had been knocked out of him as he blinked several times, seeing the newscast of his own parents' bodies in his mind's eye and feeling a wave of rage sweep over him. He'd dispelled it as he turned back to the whimpering girl and offered his hand. "It's okay, sweetheart. I'm gonna keep you safe, I promise."

Her big blue eyes had stared up at his comforting hand, his strong features and hard eyes, and she'd known instantly that he was telling the truth. He'd held her to his chest, carrying her out of the building and speaking to her in low, comforting tones.

"What's your name, sweetie?"

"Chloe," she'd whispered.

He had smiled. "Beautiful name. I'm Caden."

Drake's mind returned from the memory, his eyes staring at her "thank you" gift and stinging with tears as he strode off to find her. When he arrived at her tent, he ducked inside and smiled at her slightly as she beamed back. "Hey there, kiddo." He offered his empty hand, taking her smaller one as he crouched by her bedside. "How ya doin'?"

"Good," she answered in a surprisingly happy voice. She saw his closed hand and nodded to it. "You like it?"

He smiled wider and opened his fingers, gazing at the ring again before returning his eyes to hers. "Love it." He tried to put the ring on his finger, but it wouldn't fit. It was far too small. "Doesn't seem to fit me though." He raised an eyebrow at her mock-scoldingly. "Care to explain?"

She giggled. "It's not for you, silly." She came close and whispered conspiratorially. "It's for Miss Kara…when the time is right."

Caden's smile vanished as a surprised expression came to his face. "What do you—?"

"Just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I don't notice these things." She curled a brown strand of hair around her finger. "I see the way you look at her sometimes, like you never want to be apart."

"How did you know?"

She looked away, chewing her lower lip. "It's the way my daddy looked at Mom."

Caden's heart wrenched as new tears stung his eyes. He stared at the ring a few more moments before closing his fingers around it and reaching out with both arms. "Come here." Her small body tucked against his as he embraced her tightly, letting out a ragged breath and stroking her hair gently. "You…are getting out of here. You're going to survive this, and you're going to find a family…and you're gonna make them proud one day. You know how I know?" He felt her shake her head against his neck and pulled back, looking her in the eyes and smiling. "Because _I'm_ proud of you." He flicked a lock of hair away from her face and kissed her forehead before getting up. "Thank you, Clo."

She beamed at him. "You're welcome, Cade." As he turned to leave, she bit her lower lip. "Cade?" She knitted her eyebrows as he turned back to her expectantly. "You'll keep me safe, right?" He smiled and nodded. "Promise?"

He reached down and took her hand. "Promise."

…

7:20 PM

Caden exhaled hard as he finally reached his own tent, worry over his hundred-plus charges etched into his features and heart. When he entered the makeshift shelter, his jaw almost dropped to the floor. On his bed, lying on her back, knees bent, her beautiful eyes smiling at him was his half-naked girlfriend, clad only in her underwear as she stood up and walked toward him.

"W—what," he stuttered in shock, "the hell?"

She gave him a catlike smile. "You need to loosen up, Cade." Her soft hands encircled his shoulders, and she pulled him close, whispering into his ear. "I know you take personal responsibility for all of them, and I know how worried you are, but…love, you won't do them any good if you drop dead from exhaustion." Her hands moved to push off his trenchcoat, and he helped her take off his armor, laying it on a nearby table with the coat as they moved toward the bed and fell into each other's arms, his hand stealthily slipping Chloe's ring into his jacket as it came off.

They spent the night there, curled around each other warmly as she whispered soft nothings to him, feeling her love relax at last as their bodies practically melded together in unity and affection.

* * *

AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the way I portrayed living under Decepticon occupation. Humans are not supposed to feel safe.

If you need to visualize his machine pistols or how they deploy, think of Falcon's guns from Captain America: the Winter Soldier

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: Age of Extinction - Punch, Hold, Slide, Repeat: Caden's Javelin shot and following fighter chase


	32. Avenging the Human Race

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Sentinel Prime

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Barricade

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

* * *

Kara's hands moved to push off Caden's trenchcoat, and he helped her take off his armor, laying it on a nearby table with the coat as they moved toward the bed and fell into each other's arms, his hand stealthily slipping Chloe's ring into his jacket as it came off.

They spent the night there, curled around each other warmly as she whispered soft nothings to him, feeling her love relax at last as their bodies practically melded together in unity and affection.

…

Next day

11:30 AM

Chicago, IL

2 years after the death of the Fallen

Caden awoke to the sound of shouting and gunfire, jolting himself out of a peaceful rest as both he and Kara threw on their clothes and weapons within 20 seconds flat. Their powerful enhanced legs carried them out to the main entrance, where they found the narrow, concrete-rimmed space under attack. Their fighters were exchanging fire with two Decepticons from cover, firing off a grenade every few seconds as Caden made his way to the fore, Kara arcing off to find Clyde and ready the civilians to move, just as planned. Caden's hands danced over his Daggertail, firing off a burst that ruptured the energon line in a Con's neck and forced him to retreat. Drake dashed to cover and flagged down Korde, who was posted next to an armed Elizabeth. Before the Keystone Acting Director could get to him, an explosion sent heavy chunks of concrete in their direction, and Trevor tackled the girl, keeping his body between her and the debris as his arm curled around her waist.

Caden's eyebrows raised, but he shoved any errant thoughts away to focus on the battle. "Korde!" he called again, once it seemed like Trevor had adequately gotten her out of danger.

Korde slid to a stop next to him a few seconds later, slightly out of breath. "Sir."

"What the hell happened while I was out?"

He shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know. Everything was quiet, and then—bam! We're in a shitstorm of gunfire."

"Must've been a random patrol," Caden said as he looked over the cover to see a Vehicon crouching at their entrance.

He popped out in tandem with Trevor, peppering its head with automatic fire and sending it reeling back. It didn't get far away enough in time, as a combination of concentrated fire and Caden's MA rounds cut through its neck cables and severed its head. A cheer came from the fighters present, but Caden quickly silenced them.

"Everyone, listen up! We've known this was going to happen for a long time, and we've made contingencies for it! We need to hold this entrance until Kara and the ladies get the civilians to safety! Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

And they all dispersed across the base, finding cover by the entrance and arming weapons at maximum load as Caden looked around for his noticeably absent guardian. There was no way he wouldn't be there to bolster their coordinated defense, and the fact he wasn't worried Caden. He snapped away from his worry as soon as he saw Cybertronian assault rifle fire coming in their direction. His right arm raised and last three fingers clenched before he realized he wasn't wearing his armor. Caden ducked under rifle fire and rolled away from the salvo, right out into the open as Korde noticed and laid down cover fire.

Drake nodded his thanks, sprinting toward the barricade closest to the door, rolling as he got within six feet of it and pulling a magnetic explosive off his belt, tossing it into the open and detonating it a second later. The three Decepticons who rolled in to take revenge for their comrade were startled when their chasses were peppered with automatic rounds. One sprouted a new appendage, and Caden knew they'd just gotten reinforcements. As if to answer his thoughts, a silver-gray blur tackled one of the Vehicons and twisted the Cybertanium blade in his chest, firing a Neutron SMG at the other two as he tore out his spark and charged them both, closing the distance before he had the chance to respond.

The two Decepticons had never seen anything like Hawk, but what they had heard struck fear into their sparks, giving him a considerable psychological advantage as he took them apart piece by piece. "Cade!"

"Here! Where were you?"

"Getting a message out." He strode up to the entrance and crouched down, battle mask deployed.

Caden's eyes narrowed. "You mean you could do that and you didn't tell me?"

Hawk drew close and spoke in a low whisper. "Only on Autobot frequencies."

Drake's eyes widened in realization, and he nodded a moment before more gunfire crisscrossed the entrance. "Everyone get cover!" His shoulder hit a barricade as he dove. "And hold this line!"

"Caden!"

The spy's head snapped toward the source of the voice to see Kara chuck a heavy, disc-like object toward him like a Frisbee. He caught it solidly and slammed it against his chest, slapping the circle in its center and causing his Exosuit to form around him. His Daggertail went into his back subspace as his machine pistols deployed into his hands and his helmet snapped shut. A missile from his left arm smacked into the shoulder of a Con, and Hawk finished him off with a burst of Neutron rounds a second later. As the attackers fell back briefly to regroup, Hawk turned to the humans.

"Seal the entrance. I'll draw them off."

Caden's eyes widened. "Are you crazy? There are way too many—"

"Cade, trust me. This isn't my first rodeo." He was already out the door, firing his fusion cannon one-handedly as Cons dropped in from all sides. "Seal it!"

As Hawk vanished from view, Caden checked the ammo count for his suit-based weapons. He had just over a dozen armor-piercing missiles left, with 200 rounds of self-regenerating depleted energon rounds. As long as he kept feeding energon into his suit, it would stay both powered and loaded, thanks to Que's ingenious conversion system. He reached for his armored belt, feeling the plates shift and unsubspace a magnetic explosive as he pulled it out and readied himself for a throw. Just as he released the device, assault rifle fire from a Decepticon smacked into him, blowing him back ten feet into a barricade as the timer on the explosive ticked down. Thus far, he hadn't been hit by direct weapons fire before, even in his armor, and frankly, the impact was quite severe. It was like being in a car crash, and much like a car crash, the victim was prone to black out…which he did.

The timer on the explosive reached zero as two human fighters were cut down and a Combaticon stepped right underneath where it had landed: a key support beam keeping the entryway held up. The entire concrete and steel structure collapsed on him and any of his comrades in range, sealing the entrance and plunging the structure into darkness.

…

11:45 AM

"Caden," a voice said. "Drake, can you hear me?"

The man in question groaned hard as he forced his eyes open with some effort, pain lancing through his lower body as he peered through the eyeslits of his deployed helmet. There was almost pitch-black darkness beyond the safety of his eyelids, disrupted every so often by the flicker of a flashlight or flare.

"You're alive," someone said in relief. "Thank God."

Caden was confused. "Why wouldn't I—" He stopped talking the moment he realized he couldn't move his legs. Looking down, he spotted why. A massive chunk of debris had pinned most of his body to the ground. He rolled his eyes and snarled slightly as his armored arms pressed against the debris on his chest, the entire chunk lifting as he bench-pressed it off. He climbed to his feet, dusting himself off as he took in his surroundings, blinking twice to activate his armor's night vision filters. The world around him became a mix of greens and blues, the suit's designer opting for maximum color differentiation while retaining optical accuracy.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Not everyone," Korde said from his right, "but the civilians are out safe."

Caden sighed in a mixture of relief and regret. "Good. Who'd we lose?"

"Traynor and Cobb."

"Damn." _Two of our best scouts. _"Where are the civs?"

"Took the long way. Kara was afraid any of the shorter routes would take them too close to the enemy. There are a few people we managed to dig out of the rubble, but one or two are still trapped."

Caden nodded. "I'll take care of them."

Ten minutes later, the eleven fighters left, Caden and Korde included, rejoined Kara, Liz, Clyde, and Aria with the civilians, doing a quick head count to verify that everyone was there. A particular brown-haired girl was being held on Clyde's shoulder and smiled at Caden as he nodded to her, retracting his helmet.

"Where's Hawk," Kara asked with concern.

Drake pressed his lips together as he walked past her toward the corner of a building. "He stayed behind to draw them off. He'll be fine." Focusing on their own predicament, Caden brought up a mental map of Chicago and noted where they were. His eyes opened and flashed excitement as he turned back to the group and addressed them. "Listen up, people. We are less than two miles inside the city limits. This is the closest we've ever been to getting out of Chicago, and…I think we can do it." A murmur of hopeful chatter came from the relatively small crowd. "We'll need to split up to hide our numbers, fighters too. Korde, Kara, Aria, Liz, and I will take five groups of 20. Split up into squads and stay close to your guards."

As they had rehearsed several times over the course of the week, they followed his orders, settling into orderly ranks with three to four fighters each. The groups split at Caden's command, finding parallel routes through the deserted city streets, the relative lack of activity around them giving the entire situation an eerie feel. They were a mile closer to being out of the city when they ran across a Decepticon checkpoint. This particular one was guarded by four armed protoforms, all of whom looked pissed and very much alert. Caden realized that they'd probably been contacted about the discovery of the resistance HQ.

The five groups reunited just out of their visual range, and the squad leaders met to find a solution.

"This is a problem," Liz pointed out in a mock-flippant voice.

"You think," Clyde asked, a little sharper than necessary.

Korde gave him a look and shuffled a little closer to Beth, his hip accidentally making contact with her leg. He drew back and reddened ever-so-slightly, but she turned her head toward him and gave him a slight smile. Despite the situation, both Cade and Kara found themselves smirking ever-so-slightly.

"What we need is a way to stay out of sight," Aria said. "We don't have the firepower or mobility to blast through them."

"She's right," Kara agreed. "If we had a bus or even a semi, we might stand a chance going that route, but…like this?" She shook her head. "Forget about it."

Caden narrowed his eyes at their surroundings as the others continued to discuss options, peering through the window of a building they were hiding in. His eyes caught sight of something peculiar: two buildings joined by a covered bridge on their third floors.

That just so happened to be on opposite sides of the checkpoint.

"Guys," he interrupted, pointing to the glass-covered structures.

"That…could work," Clyde pointed out. "We'd have to go in relatively small groups, though. That bridge is awfully exposed to their sight lines, and if they spot us, we'll be sitting ducks."

"That's the only concern," Caden said. "I say we split them up into groups of 25. Have four of us cover the civilians as they move across and then post the rest of the fighters on a rooftop nearby, ready to lay down some cover fire or create a distraction if necessary."

"Right," Korde said firmly. "I volunteer for that."

Drake nodded. "Keep the same configuration as evacuation?" They all nodded. "All right. Then Clyde, Aria, Kara, and Liz are going to be the four group leaders. Rest of us, we'll be posted…" He looked out the window and found a six-story concrete building in just the right position for sniping. "There," he said with a pointed index. "We'll have good sight lines and cover from that rooftop."

"Roger. I'll get the men ready."

Another five minutes passed as they prepared, then quietly approaching the glass buildings and entering, the armed fighters mobilizing to their positions. Once all were in position, Caden activated their inter-team comlink, keeping the bursts of communication brief to avoid detection.

"First group, go."

"Roger," Aria answered.

The civilians stayed low and crouched as they moved across, just over 80 feet from the nearest Decepticon. They all passed without incident.

"Second group, go."

"Copy," Clyde answered in his thick Irish accent, motioning his 25 across as he held the flank.

Another smooth transfer passed before Caden noticed from his perch that the Decepticons were starting to move around and talk to each other in harsh Cybertronian. They started turning and looking around, prompting Drake's heart to leap into his throat as he whisper-shouted into his comlink.

"Third team, no-go, no-go!"

Kara raised her hand to keep the civilians back as a pair of red optics swept over the building, missing the humans before moving on.

"Go, now! Pick it up!"

Kara waved them on hurriedly, all of them moving at a semi-crouching jog until they got to the other side, a few of them just missing tripping over fallen debris.

Caden breathed a sigh of relief as they reached the other side. "Team four…go."

Elizabeth waved her civilians on, most on the right side of the checkpoint before disaster struck. A woman carrying a baby tripped over an overturned lamp and hit the ground with her hand and knee, shattering a piece of fallen glass as every human's heart raced. Two Decepticons turned toward the source of the disturbance instantly and raised weapons as Liz shoved the woman behind cover and dove behind her, Aria yelling over comms. for their backup to fire. Korde didn't need her order, and took the first shot, opening with a furious roar and a shower of 7.62 mm rounds from an AK-47.

Caden followed his example with a more…direct approach, leaping off the side of the building in a death-defying plunge, his machine pistols snapping into his hands and firing at their maximum rate as his jetpack kicked in, carrying him right between the two Cons in question as their comrades opened fire on him. The civilians and Beth, much to the relief of everyone involved, were fully across by ten seconds into the fight, and Drake rounded the corner of a building as all four Decepticons targeted him after sufficiently suppressing the rooftop shooters. He peppered their armor with 4mm rounds from his MPs, one of them going back into subspace as he barrel-rolled around an incoming stream of fire and drew his sword, slashing it through the neck of a Con on his way down, then rolling on impact with the ground and taking off again.

Suddenly, another shooter entered the mix, massive automatic rounds from above hammering the enemy until they were reduced to scrap metal. Caden looked up at the source and felt his heart jump a bit when he saw a Decepticon fighter hover down to the ground, its cockpit opening to reveal a masked Hawk in the pilot seat.

"Hawk," he asked, stunned. "You're a…pilot?"

His friend nodded once. "They don't just call me that 'cause it sounds pretty."

Caden turned toward the glass building, watching as the civilians filed out. "They're gonna be all over us any minute now."

"I know. Which is why I got one with a back."

Caden looked at him strangely until the fighter hovered and turned to face its side to him, revealing a secondary autocannon mounted on the back. "_Oh_." He smiled as he retracted the helmet and strode toward the ship. "Nice." Caden climbed into the back and seated himself at the oversized controls, recognizing the basic mechanics from a Cybertronian tech session he'd had with Que a few months earlier.

"Cade!"

He turned his head toward Kara. "The Cons are gonna be here any second, Kara. I need you and the others to get them—" he pointed at the civilians, "—out of the city." Drake settled into the cannon's assembly with little difficulty, the massive seat more than adequate to hold him.

"Where are you gonna be," Kara asked with deep concern in her voice.

Caden froze and exchanged a look with Hawk before facing her, a look of dark fury on his face as everything the Decepticons had done to this city, to Chloe, and to the world flashed through his head and he spoke sharply.

"Avenging the human race."

The moment he finished saying the words, the whole fighter shifted underneath him and jetted into the sky, Hawk's impeccable control at the stick making it feel much smoother than it could have. Both of them could already spot airborne reinforcements heading for the intersection, making it imperative that they get their attention.

"You know how to use that thing," Hawk asked.

Caden smirked maliciously. "Hell yeah."

"Then hold on!" Hawk hit the accelerator and shot past the squadron of Decepticon ships, getting their attention and causing them to arc off as he spun their fighter over a building. "Take 'em!"

Caden roared in vengeful rage as he punched the firing controls forward, sending three rapid streams of shots toward the enemy. A fighter fell to his first salvo, followed by another ten seconds later as Hawk's insane maneuvers kept them constantly one step ahead of the enemy. He rounded the corner of a skyscraper as the staccato of Caden's cannons hammered away, catching armor and buildings in its path as he fired. Hawk spotted two fighters trying to hit them from the front and spun the ship in a spiral to avoid two missiles, firing his own guns and taking out one as the ship's parts shifted to bring them to a hover. The Autobot fired away, arming missiles and firing one into the cluster of fighters on their tail, the other into a large radio tower that impacted with a headstrong Decepticon pilot.

The partners' ship jetted away as it shifted again, rocketing them toward the center of the city and right past a Decepticon warship that was launching more fighters. Caden and Hawk expended metric tons of bullets and missiles keeping them very heavily distracted, leading them on a deadly chase across the city's skies until two familiar jets were seen.

"Cade, it's Thundercracker and Skywarp!"

"Lose 'em in the streets!"

Hawk dipped the fighter downward, weaving in and out of buildings as the two Seekers chased them, firing guns and missiles alternatingly and barely missing their target as they slowly but surely closed the gap, Skywarp vanishing a second later and reappearing in front of them as they rounded a corner, weapons firing madly as Thundercracker shot at them from behind. Both Hawk and Caden emptied the mags on their cannons, spitting out their last shells of ammo trying to take their pursuers out and receiving only minor damage to their ship thanks to the former's impeccable piloting skills.

"Hawk!" Caden yelled. "Cut the engines!"

The Bot smiled as he realized they'd had the same idea and waited until the last second, seemingly opting for a head-on collision with Skywarp as Thundercracker sped toward him from behind the pair. Hawk cut the engines at the last possible second, dropping in a steep arc as the Seekers slammed into each other, powering up the drives and arcing up, coasting just six feet off the ground before turning a corner and rising into the air, putting cover between them and their opponents, knowing they'd be back.

"Caden," Hawk said, tapping his helm, "go to these coordinates."

Caden stared at the numbers that suddenly appeared on his helmet's heads-up display.

"Optimus will meet you there. I'll draw them off and ditch this thing."

Caden pursed his lips and nodded before leaping off the side of the ship and spreading his limbs, deploying his wingsuit and gliding into another intersection before turning on his jetpack and rocketing toward the coordinates Hawk gave him. "Be careful," he transmitted over comms.

"Always am."

Caden kept flying until he found an alley just adjacent to the coordinates and retracted his suit back into the disk, the back section of the armor deploying his trenchcoat from subspace. He put it on and walked onto the destroyed city street, looking around and smiling as his heart leapt in relief.

"Sam!" he yelled, running over to the man in question, who was with Epps and what looked like a platoon of NEST soldiers. He saw Sam turn toward him with a sullen, defeated expression and red eyes. By the way he and Epps were standing, it looked like they'd just had a very rough conversation, the end of which they'd disagreed on. Shoving that aside, he stopped just two feet in front of him. "He called you here too?"

Sam looked at him confusedly before someone behind him shouted.

"Incoming!"

Caden turned where he was pointing to see exactly what he meant. A Decepticon fighter descended on the street, firing weapons haphazardly in what he recognized from the past week as an air raid. He tried to lunge for cover, but the way the incoming fire was being scattered, it was impossible to move without risking being shot, and he was out of armor. By the looks of it, it wouldn't matter if he was in. He'd be shot down before he could do anything. The fighter's secondary weapon, an energon wave cannon, deployed, incinerating a crowd of civilians close to the blast and blowing the rest in its path twenty feet through the air. It hovered in place right above the three humans, firing in a wide arc with its main autocannons and shifting, its parts spinning vertically as it changed directions and dropping dangerously close to where they had fallen flat before hovering higher again.

It kept firing for a few more seconds before something else was seen: several shots going _toward_ the ship, a few relatively small ones hammering it back before a particularly massive one hit the engine and sent it careening into the street. The pilot was growling and raging at the constriction of his cockpit, trying to bust his way out when the release mechanism shorted out. As Epps and Sam watched his progress with shocked interest, Caden traced the smoke trail of the shot that took him down and looked behind to see its source.

He smiled maliciously as he rose to his feet. "Oh _hell_ yes."

The loud pump of a weapon was followed by the loud clang of an artillery shell against the pavement as Optimus Prime strode toward the three humans and set his features fiercely, cannon held at his side.

"We will kill them all," he growled.

The rumbles of three powerful engines came from the direction of the downed fighter as the Wreckers moved in and transformed.

"Wreckers," Leadfoot said before driving a brawler's punch into the pilot's head, "kill 'im!"

"This is going to hurt," Roadbuster added as his team moved in, each grabbing a limb and pulling. "A lot!"

The Con roared and tried in vain to fight as he was quite literally torn limb from limb, finished when one of them pulled his head off. Optimus' voice drew the humans' gazes back to him.

"Your leaders will now understand. Decepticons will never leave your planet alone, and we needed them to believe we had gone. For today, in the name of freedom—" he pointed into the occupied city firmly, "—we take the battle to them!"

Behind him, the rest of the Autobots rolled in, a familiar yellow-and-black Camaro at the fore. As Bumblebee transformed and crouched in front of a shocked Sam, the other Autobots rose to their feet and brandished weapons, looking every bit as pissed as their human friends.

And in that moment, Caden knew the Decepticons had very good reason to be nervous.

* * *

AN: The Autobots have returned, and the Battle of Chicago now begins in earnest.

As always, please review and recommend.

Musical Inspirations:

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron – Transport Flight: fight at the checkpoint, 1:46-on – "Avenging the human race" and following chase through Chicago


	33. The Battle of Chicago

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Sentinel Prime

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Laserbeak

· Crankcase

· Crowbar

· Hatchet

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

* * *

"Your leaders will now understand. Decepticons will never leave your planet alone, and we needed them to believe we had gone. For today, in the name of freedom—" he pointed into the occupied city firmly, "—we take the battle to them!"

Behind him, the rest of the Autobots rolled in, a familiar yellow-and-black Camaro at the fore. As Bumblebee transformed and crouched in front of a shocked Sam, the other Autobots rose to their feet and brandished weapons, looking every bit as pissed as their human friends.

And in that moment, Caden knew the Decepticons had very good reason to be nervous.

…

4:30 PM

Chicago, IL

2 years after the death of the Fallen

Sam turned toward Optimus with a confused expression. "I saw your ship blow up."

"The ship," Roadbuster asked mockingly from the downed fighter. "We were never _in_ the ship. We designed the damn thing, didn't we?"

"We were hidden in the first booster rocket to separate," Leadfoot explained. "Splashed down back in the Atlantic, just as planned." He spat to the side. "We ain't goin' nowhere."

"Yeah," Brains said from Optimus' side, "no one's exilin' us."

"The Autobots are stayin' right here," Wheelie added resolutely. "We're gonna help you win this war."

"They're surrounding the city to make a fortress," Optimus said, motioning to the inside of Chicago, "so that no one can see what they're up to inside. Our only chance is the element of surprise."

"I think I know where to look," Sam said.

"Trump Tower," Caden asked him.

"Yeah."

Drake smiled slightly and nodded. "She's there, and a few blocks down, Sentinel's set up shop with Megatron." His smile faded and he looked away. "Sorry I couldn't get a message out to you."

"Don't be." Sam looked out on the devastation of the city. "You had enough on your plate."

"Right," Caden breathed as he pulled out his phone and dialed Kara's number. When she picked up, immense relief surged through him. "You get them out?"

"We did," she answered, clearly smiling. "They all say that they owe us their lives…which is true."

Caden smiled and rolled his eyes. "How's Chloe?"

"Tough…and grateful. She misses you already."

Kara's words tugged at his heartstrings. He had barely known her for a week, but the girl had already gained a place in his heart, whether because she was a war orphan like him or because there was something just under the surface that appealed to him. "Tell her I'll visit when we're done here."

"Will do." Her tone went dark. "We ran into some trouble on our way out."

A chill ran through Caden. "Don't tell me—"

"Nobody was hurt seriously…but it wasn't Decepticons."

Caden snarled. "Talon."

"Yeah. And I saw _him_ just a few minutes ago, when a bunch of trucks wheeled into the city."

"Merc reinforcements."

"Probably to bolster their block-by-block search parties," she agreed. "We must have been a gigantic pain in the ass for Megatron to call in Carmine like this."

"Well, I think he finally figured out that I was the 'metal human' everyone was talking about. You coming back in?"

"Now that the civs are secure? Hell yeah."

"And the others?"

"Not Clyde, but the rest? Yeah. Aria's not done 'catching up' with you, she says."

Caden turned toward Sam, who was holding Bumblebee's index as he welcomed his friend back. "Not gonna be much time for socializing, but—" a rumble from his right alerted Drake to the approach of Smokescreen, "—let Liz know that her guardian is here."

"Will do."

"I'll send someone to pick you up if I can."

"Got it. Kara out."

His phone snapped shut as he jogged over to Optimus. "Optimus…good to see you again."

He smiled and crouched down. "And you, my friend."

"Look…I need a favor. Can you spare anyone right now?"

Optimus' optics narrowed slightly. "For what purpose?"

"Kara and a couple others I took into the city just evacuated about a hundred civilians, and they're looking to get back into the fight. Can you send someone to pick them up?"

"Until Sam retrieves Carly, we will only be performing reconnaissance. I can see no reason not to." He stood and looked over his Autobots. "Sideswipe!" The silver Bot in question faced him. "I need you to retrieve a few allies from the location Caden gives you."

"Here you go," Caden said, typing into his phone and sending the coordinates to Sideswipe's comm. channel.

"Your girl, huh?" Sides shrugged. "Some femme ya got there."

"You have no idea."

He transformed into a Corvette Stingray and drove off as fast as possible, trying to retrieve the humans before the battle began in earnest, leaving the Autobots on the front line. Caden looked over at Sam, who was standing next to the downed but intact fighter.

"So," he was saying to his guardian, "you can fly this thing, right?"

Bee whistled a few times and pivoted his flat hand sideways a few times.

"What is that—what is that, what is that? So-so? So you so-so can fly this. That feels terrible."

Caden clamped down on his laughter as Epps approached Sam with a sidearm in his hand.

"We're right behind you," he said, handing Sam the weapon, then turning to his men as the kid climbed into the fighter with Bumblebee in the pilot's seat. "All right, we're goin' in!"

"Caden."

Drake turned toward the voice. "Optimus?"

The Prime transformed into his semi alt mode, staying still until Que came from behind, wheeling his trailer onto his hitch. "Ride with me, will you? I have received periodic reports on your exploits from Hawk, but I would like to hear it from you."

He smiled and climbed into his cab. "Makes sense, considering we have some time to burn." Caden was silent as the Autobots drove off together, Optimus in the middle of their caravan before they split off. "So what do you want to know?"

"Everything."

So he told him everything, from the utter devastation and death caused by the Decepticons to the way that he and his team fought back, fought to protect innocents caught in the crossfire. He gave him every scrap of intel he had on Decepticon movements, and more specifically, on Sentinel and Megatron. When he told Optimus that Sentinel had given the order to massacre humans, he could feel the cabin constrict a little around him, and he knew the Bot was taking it hard.

"So where is Hawk now," Optimus asked after a while.

Caden pursed his lips. "I'm actually not sure. He said he was ditching our fighter, so—"

A burst of static came over Optimus' radio, silencing him as he listened to something over comms. "Bee's fighter has been hit…Laserbeak."

"That psycho? Is Sam all right?"

"Hold on," Optimus ordered as he turned a corner hard.

Caden looked to the sky, seeing a smoking Decepticon fighter on hot descent, spinning and smoking. "Holy mother of—"

It hit the ground spinning, a small figure leaping off it before the crash as it rolled to a stop. They drove up to the downed ship, Caden spotting Sam a ways off as he ran toward the crash site.

"Laserbeak has been destroyed," Optimus said as he let Caden out.

"One less to worry about," Drake responded as he climbed out of his cab and strode toward the fighter.

Sam and Carly were in each other's arms, and Caden turned away, spotting a smaller smoking wreck not far away.

"Well, you're crazy," Epps said as he approached Sam, who saw the same object Caden noticed.

"What is that," he asked. "Is that us?"

Epps noticed his line of sight and approached it. "This thing's a military UAV. Stone, check and see if it's still working."

"Yeah," the soldier responded, "it's still got power."

Epps turned toward it and pursed his lips. "Flight Control, do you copy? Can, can you rotate? Can you do something?" No response. "Can you rotate? Can you do something? Come on, man, work! Work!" Still nothing. "Can you rotate or something?" Finally, the camera moved. "Yes, yes! Okay, okay, okay!" He turned to Sam. "They can see us."

He approached the drone and crouched in front of the camera. "Chicago is ground zero, do you understand? Can you hear us? You understand?"

Carly approached and gently nudge him aside. "Please listen. Sentinel Prime is here and he has the pillars to his spacebridge. They're on top of a building on Chicago River. It's owned by Hotchkiss Gould Investments. Now, the pillar that controls everything is in the southeast cupola."

Sam cut in. "You've got to destroy the pillar. You have to shoot down the pillar or they're going to transport Cybertron here, do you understand? Do you understand?"

Caden's eyes widened at him before he turned to Jetfire, who had just landed with them. "Can he even do that," he asked quietly.

"Well, I can't, but I don't have a bridge projector big enough. Theoretically, if he used all the pillars, including the ones the Decepticons took…yes."

"And what would be the effect of that on Earth's gravitational field if complete?"

Jetfire gave him a dark look. "You don't want to know."

Caden gulped and turned around as a familiar engine rumbled behind him, noticing that Sam had also heard what Jetfire said. Sideswipe pulled to a stop and opened his doors, letting out four heavily armed and pissed passengers before transforming. Drake breathed out in relief as he embraced Kara tightly, inhaling her scent deeply and wishing they would never be apart again, not for the first time.

"Hey," she said, looking deeply into his eyes.

"Hey yourself."

Their lips came together gently before they pulled apart and turned back to the task at hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Caden noticed the way that Trevor was looming protectively over Elizabeth, his much larger body dwarfing hers, and smiled, nodding to him. To his surprise, Korde didn't look the least bit embarrassed, and nodded back.

Optimus crouched down in front of Sam. "We need to move before the fighters spot us. Wait here until we scout a route ahead." He nodded to his Autobots. "Let's roll."

"Ratchet," Sideswipe said, "cover high."

After a few moments, Sam spoke, pointing to a missile launcher. "Hey, think we could use that rocket to shoot down the pillar?"

"We're eight blocks away," Epps said. "We got to get closer to take the shot."

"No we don't," Caden said, his mind going back to the RPG shot in Ukraine. "We need to get—"

"Higher," a soldier on a fire escape cut in. "We need a clear line of sight."

Caden nodded to him.

"And it's across the river," Epps added. "Gonna have a hell of a time tryin' to sneak up."

"We only got one shot," another soldier said, hefting a rocket.

"One shot's all we need," Sam said confidently, locking eyes with Caden and nodding to him as he smiled and nodded back.

…

5 minutes later

3:10 PM

Caden had mounted into Optimus again and was driving at the back of their convoy as they sped toward Sentinel and the pillars, Brains cheering for an "Autobot victory" while riding in one of the Wreckers. When they rounded another corner, the convoy proceeded unopposed for the entirety of the block until Optimus was the last one. The ground opened up as a gigantic, wormlike creature erupted from the new fissure, its front smacking into the trailer and knocking it off Optimus' hitch as the Prime sped away, Caden looking back in blank terror as Shockwave emerged from the Driller's body toting a gigantic cannon.

When they managed to get into a high-ceilinged building, Drake got out and let Optimus transform, pulling his cannon from his back as Caden deployed his armor.

"That is one scary-ass Decepticon!" Epps shouted.

"They got my trailer," Optimus said. "I need that flight tech." He pumped a shell out of his cannon. "Shockwave can't hunt all of us at once. Wreckers, we need a diversion."

"Let's get some!" Roadbuster whooped, walking off with his team.

"You got that right," Leadfoot agreed.

"Listen," Epps said, "we're gonna circle around to that glass building." He pointed to the structure in question. "And we'll get high enough to make the rocket shot while you guys draw his fire."

"Optimus," Caden said, "I'm gonna go with them." He deployed his machine pistols. "They might need some Cybertronian firepower without the Cybertronian size."

Optimus nodded in agreement as Caden and his team marched off to join Epps and the others.

"Let's move!" Epps shouted.

"Wait a minute!" Que called desperately. "I'm not lettin' you go out there without my urban combat prototypes."

"We got to go, Que," Sideswipe scolded. "Come on."

Que waved him off, his other hand dropping several devices on the ground in front of them. "Wait, wait. They're great inventions for kicking ass!"

"Trust me," Caden affirmed, showing them his armor and pistols, "I know."

"What are these," Sam asked, holding up a long, stick-looking object.

"Those are boomsticks," Que answered. "Armed in 30 seconds." When Sam showed him a metal fingerless glove, he continued his explanation. "Grapple gloves, for climbin'."

Caden picked up one of each and subspaced the boomstick before staring at the glove. "How would this thing respond to my suit?"

"Hm, hard to say. Might integrate, might be better to just subspace it."

"Got it," he said, doing the latter. "By the way, your suit's _amazing_."

Que smiled broadly. "Glad to hear it, laddie." He turned for the door and ran out after the Autobots as the humans followed on foot.

They sprinted out of the building together, Caden at their rear, suit fully deployed as he kept up.

"Move, move!" Optimus shouted at them, his cannon spitting out streams of ion rounds at a rooftop sniper as Ratchet and the others covered the humans. "Go, go, go!" he ordered.

So they ran like hell.

…

15 minutes later

5:26 PM

They reached the glass building just as Optimus sent the Autobots, and by extension Caden, a message over comms. saying that he'd successfully retrieved his armory. Ten minutes later, they had climbed several dozen stories.

"Come on," Sam shouted, "we're high enough!"

The soldier toting the missile launcher, Eddie, was heaving with effort. "This is a mother getting' up here!"

"Get your fat ass over here!" Epps yelled in his direction.

"I'm comin'."

"Set up the rocket!" He looked out the window, catching sight of several Decepticon fighter approaching. "They're coming."

Carly went up to a window, Sam holding her from behind as she pointed at a building in the distance. "There, the building with the dome."

Suddenly, a rumble and a sudden loss of balance alerted them all to the actions of the fighters. A chorus of "whoa" and "uh-oh" came from them all until someone pointed out the obvious.

"The building! They're shooting at the building!" When everything stopped moving, their nerves still didn't settle.

"This is not a good idea," Eddie said, looking down out the window.

"What," Sam asked, approaching him.

"This is not a good idea. This buildin's unstable."

"Listen," Sam pleaded, "stop for a second. If we don't do what we came to do, it doesn't matter, we all die, right?" He pointed at their target. "That's your target. Come on, man!" He slapped his shoulder in encouragement.

"I don't even care if the buildin' collapses," Eddie said as he hefted the launcher. "I'm havin' a heart attack anyway."

Before he could shoot, the floor started to shift again.

"The building is goin' over!" Epps shouted. "Hang on!"

"Take cover!" someone shouted as the ground under their feet started to give out, tilting dangerously and threatening to dump them all sideways.

Everyone clambered for something to anchor to while Caden pulled his sword from his back, driving it into the ground and holding onto Kara, the blade serving as an anchor point for anyone who could hold onto him. A few seconds later, and the shifting ceased.

"It's okay," Epps said, "it stopped!"

Carly pointed at a window further down on their tilted floor. "Guys, look!"

"Incoming, incoming!"

When Caden finally pulled his sword out and subspaced it, he managed to get a look at what she meant. A Decepticon fighter was approaching their floor, its cockpit opening and pilot dismounting as they all found cover. The Con dive-rolled through the window and brandished a weapon as they all stood stock-still, Caden ready to nail him or at the least get his attention. A click to his left alerted him to the fact that Epps had other ideas as he yanked the pin off a flashbang grenade and motioned to Eddie. The thick-set man pushed a rolling chair in the Con's direction, the tilt of the floor keeping it moving and drawing its attention before Epps tossed the grenade right in front of its optics.

As it exploded and temporarily blinded him, Epps yelled, "Run!"

They all obeyed his order, Caden included. He didn't know the upper limits of his armor, and if the first time he'd been shot was any indication, he didn't want to find out.

"Cover fire!" Caden yelled as the Con lunged toward them, pulling his machine pistols and emptying their mags as the rest ran toward the far side of the room.

"Jump out the window!" Epps yelled.

Caden burst through first in his line of people, smashing the window and skidding on the tilted glass side of the building with the rest. They slid halfway down before Carly realized the unfortunate truth of their situation.

"Sam, I can't stop!"

"Shoot the glass!" Epps and Cade shouted together, both of them first to fall off the building if they didn't.

The humans all fell through the holes made by the soldiers and Caden, sliding down the tilted flooring of the building and desperately reaching for an anchor point. Sam grabbed a hanging cable and Carly, Epps managed to snag a support beam at the far end of the floor, and Kara hung on to Caden, who had again used his sword to keep them aloft. One soldier, though, couldn't find anything to hold on to, and he fell with the debris from their entrance toward a gaping hole and a deadly free-fall.

"Hold onto the sword," Cade shouted to Kara, who complied instantly as he dove after the man, kicking in his jetpack as he fell through the hole and catching the soldier before he hit, flying back up to rejoin the rest of the group.

"Is everybody okay," Epps asked.

"The hell was that," Eddie demanded, referencing a massive growl from below.

The answer came not from Epps, but from an unfamiliar Decepticon voice far below.

"Driller-bot is thirsty…"

Epps looked seriously disturbed. "This evil thing's lookin' at me."

"What," Sam shouted.

A massive tremor alerted them to the appearance of the Driller, the massive Decepticon beast churning its way toward its master, Shockwave, and the building.

"It's even got an uglier Decepticon with it!" Epps added.

_Seriously, _Cade thought, _that thing can eat through us without feeling a thing, and_ that's_ what you pick up?_

"We have to evac!"

Everyone scrambled for the stairwell as the whole building shook with the Driller's entry.

"The stairs are blocked!" a soldier shouted. "We're trapped!"

"How do we get out of here," someone asked a running civilian. "Hey! Come on!"

Eddie was busy praying, something Caden had to agree was a good idea at this point. Cybertronian tech or not, he couldn't get everyone out safely, not without taking down that monster…and he didn't have _nearly_ that much firepower.

"Move!" Sam shouted. "We gotta move!"

"Why do the Decepticons always get the good shit," Epps asked.

Caden snorted as he retrieved his sword. _Can't argue with that._

"We're about to be eaten, people!"

A monstrous roar alerted them to the approaching Driller, whose efforts were causing the already unstable building to tilt.

"Woah, woah, woah," Carly panted as the floor tilted completely, the entire building's upper section falling against another rooftop.

A series of shrieks and screams heralded the complete drop of every soul in their group. Caden grabbed a pillar and looked up in panic as Kara fell downward some distance away, her arms out of reach of anything solid. He braced his legs against the pillar and leapt, his jetpack giving his already Cyber-enhanced legs a boost as he grabbed his girlfriend, punching his armored hand into a wall and holding on. Sam yelled below him, and he looked down to see the boy holding onto Carly's hand, keeping her aloft with his shoulder at a painful angle. A soldier on a lower pillar shouted something to Sam as he grabbed Carly's other hand, to which he replied, "Now what?"

They dropped Carly onto the fire escape of the building they'd landed on, and Caden breathed a sigh of relief until she spotted the Driller's ugly head moving toward them and shrieked.

"Sam!"

"Woah," a soldier agreed, "we gotta move! Move, move!"

Sam dropped into the escape next to Epps and his girlfriend, followed by Caden's team and the man himself, who saw no way to escape the collapsed wreck in time. He was about to deploy his jetpack and try to get its attention at the least when a targeted comm. burst from a familiar voice sent hope to him.

…

5:38 PM

Optimus Prime streaked between the buildings of Chicago, the Driller and Sam's party in sight as his battle mask snapped shut and his jetpack flared up. "I'm coming for you!" he yelled, raising his cannons as he approached the Decepticon's head and opened fire. His rapid-firing ion cannons severed a clawed tendril and hammered the Con's monstrous body as he arced over the building, hovering midair to fire two missiles at the toppled structure, at an area just above the Driller. He roared in fury as his flight system's wings tucked in and the jetpack shot him downward at maximum thrust, firing everything he had into the hole before he rammed straight into his enemy, severing its cylindrical head and killing it.

He flew up toward a crane and landed on it, a small part of his spark settling with satisfaction. _Justice,_ he thought, his optics drifting over to a familiar and equally hateful sight before realizing that Shockwave was pointing a cannon in his direction. Optimus ran for the end of the crane and kicked in his jetpack as Shockwave's cluster missile broke apart, two of the rockets slamming into his side and sending him spinning. He crashed through a building under construction, his legs and right arm becoming tangled with steel cables and dangling him from another crane. He managed to tear off one of the cables with some effort when he realized he was trapped. Optimus' battle mask retracted as he groaned in pain and heard three familiar engines at street level.

"Optimus!" Roadbuster called.

"Wreckers!" he answered.

"We're coming!"

…

5:42 PM

"Crap," Caden muttered as he saw Prime's predicament in his helmet's zoomed optics. "Optimus is in trouble. I'm gonna go help him." He gave Kara's shoulder a squeeze and looked toward Sam. "Keep going, you guys. I'll be back." And with that, his jetpack activated and carried him toward Prime. Before he could get there, though, a stream of automatic fire blocked his path. He cursed under his breath as he arced off, dodging a hailstorm of bullets from an incoming jet. "Starscream!"

"In the flesh," he hissed back as he transformed, his jetpack firing up as he chased after Caden.

They both rounded a corner, a Decepticon fighter effectively cornering him between Megatron's second-in-command and him.

"Dammit," Cade muttered, about to cut out his jetpack when two missiles smacked into the fighter from above.

Auto-fire from another source peppered Starscream and forced him to retreat as Caden looked for his rescuers. One was a one-bot fighter, the other a familiar F-35.

"Jetfire!"

The plane in question transformed and grabbed him midair, transforming back into a jet and flying off, his VTOL systems engaging and keeping him hovering as he fired on Starscream and Thundercracker, who joined up. Hawk engaged the Seeker, Jetfire taking Starscream and chasing him past one building after the next, Caden cheering him on.

"Yeah!" he yelled as Jetfire landed yet another missile on his chassis.

The Screamer finally bugged out with a string of Cybertronian curses in his wake.

"Jetfire," Caden said finally, "can you fly in close? Hit the control pillar?"

"No way, kid. Ol' Sentinel's got way too much anti-air and air-to-air for me to do that. They'd see me comin' a mile away."

Caden's eyes narrowed. "He won't see _me _coming."

"Fair point," Jetfire conceded, opening his cockpit window and letting Cade out.

"Go help Optimus. He was trapped in a bunch of cables by Shockwave—that way." He pointed in the direction of the fallen glass building.

"Got it. Knock 'em dead, kid."

Caden leapt from his cockpit and activated his jetpack, catching sight of Hawk's fighter flying toward him triumphantly.

"Cade," he said over comms., "you shoulda seen the look on his—"

A powerful shot cut off the rest of his sentence as his fighter was shot down.

"Hawk!" Caden shouted, arcing down toward him as he suspected where that shot came from…or more accurately, _who_. He landed a few seconds later, slashing a notch in the cockpit door with his sword and allowing his partner leverage to kick it open.

As Hawk climbed out of the ship, his battle mask formed over his face, hiding the scowl that he shot at the new arrivals behind Caden. He nodded in their direction, and the human turned toward them, keeping the sword in his right hand as his left summoned a pistol. Without warning or preface, the partners charged toward Sideways, Breakdown, and Knockout, the last two genuinely surprised at their rash actions, the first grinning with perverse anticipation. Hawk roared as he slammed into Sideways hands-first, tackling him into a car and pummeling his head barehanded before pinning him to the ground by his throat and drawing his gauss pistol. The pistol fired into Breakdown twice, knocking off an armor plate as Caden slashed his sword across the large Con's right ankle. Knockout threw his electrostaff at the human, but he rolled under it and jetpacked toward him, slamming into his face with both feet.

A series of plasma shots smacked Breakdown in the back and heralded the entrance of a new combatant. Smokescreen leapt over Knockout's partner and fired into his heavy armor rapidly, his second cannon giving Hawk cover as he engaged Sideways one-on-one. Caden kept dodging around strikes from Knockout, and Smokescreen grabbed a thrown punch, using his arm as leverage to throw him into a charging Breakdown.

"You and me," Sideways hissed, "at last." He reached toward his back and pulled out a ten-foot longsword with a curved blade. "Fitting that we finally get our moment of glory at the end of this world."

Hawk's blades snapped out of subspace. "Just shut up and fight." He roared and charged forward, his blades slashing and stabbing, one strike following the next as their swords smacked and skated off one another.

Caden leapt onto Breakdown's shoulder, stabbing his sword into the Con's neck. "Woah!" he shouted when the plating he was standing on shifted to reveal his shoulder cannon. Cade performed a backwards somersault as the cannon fired, sending a deadly bolt of plasma right past him and into a building.

Smokescreen threw Knockout into Breakdown, recoiling when the latter's hand transformed into a hammer and swung in his direction. Hawk shot Sideways in the knee, stabbing his wrist and yelping in pain when the Con's sword slashed across his chest armor. The two assassins dueled blade-to-blade, one-on-one, and although he would never admit it, Hawk did find it somewhat poetic that as everything they knew seemed to come either to a head or an end, he would finally get the chance to put his demons to rest…along with Sideways' black spark. Cybertanium clashed against energon in a sword-lock, a test of strength. Hawk pivoted hard, redirecting Sideways' blade downward and spinning to backhand him with his empty hand. Sideways rolled away and fired his minigun as Hawk spun his blade as a propeller shield, bringing the weapon into his thrusting sword and shredding it in a series of screeching cuts.

The blade became immobile as Hawk ducked under a hook from Sideways, stabbing him in the lower chest and rolling behind him, then snapping his head back from a left saw strike and spinning his body, slashing off Sideways' left hand and rolling away. As he spun to face the Con, his blade retracted, and his right hand went to his back, drawing his fusion cannon and aiming it one-handedly. Sideways and Hawk faced off for a split-second, Nucleon rifle to fusion cannon…but Hawk pulled the trigger first. The high-explosive round from Hawk's weapon slammed into Sideways, completely blowing his chest armor apart and knocking him back several dozen feet. Sideways roared in pain as he desperately tried to keep online, hissing at his long-hated enemy as Hawk stood over him, pointing that accursed weapon at his near-exposed spark.

He never got the chance to fire again.

Breakdown slammed his hammer into Hawk's head, nearly sending him into instant stasis lock and throwing him 40 feet away as his fusion cannon was punted into the air, flying a mile in the wrong direction. Caden jetted toward him. A thin, long object was stuck in Breakdown's right shoulder, and the battle between the four active fighters raged for another twenty-eight seconds before the Con realized he was beeping.

"Oh scrap." The explosion that followed completely severed Breakdown's right arm, and he roared in pain as he collapsed to one knee, his shoulder cannon firing into Smokescreen's back as he regained focus.

Knockout took advantage of Smoke's newfound vulnerability and, seeing that they couldn't win the fight with Breakdown half-crippled, Sideways in stasis lock, and a barely dazed Hawk getting back up, tackled Smokescreen, leveling the business end of his medical saw against the rookie Bot's neck.

"Back off," Knockout threatened, "both of you! Or your friend loses his head."

Both Caden and Hawk stopped advancing.

"Atta boys. Now, here's how this is going to work. I'm going to let junior pinhead here go, and you're going to let us leave. All of us."

Hawk snarled at him audibly, taking a step toward Sideways before Knockout intentionally nicked an energon line in Smoke's neck.

"I mean it."

The Bot's battle mask retracted, showing his displeasure very clearly. "Fine. Take your comrades and go…but Knockout?"

The red Con stopped moving at his question.

"I better not see you again, because if I do, we will _not_ meet on friendly terms."

Knockout snarled as he helped Breakdown to his feet and started carrying Sideways. "Got that right."

A half-minute later, and the retreating Decepticons were out of sight.

Hawk turned to his partner and gave him a pat, sending a nod in Smokescreen's direction as his student regained his footing. "Thank you both. I…don't think I could've survived that without you."

"No problem, boss."

"Always, _ner vod_."

* * *

AN: Final chapter of DOTM ahead. Secrets will be revealed. Confrontations will occur. Energon and blood will be spilled. The fate of two worlds will be decided (not to be melodramatic, but it's true).

Please review and recommend, and look forward to part 2 of the Battle of Chicago tomorrow.

Musical Inspirations:

DOTM tracks for appropriate movie moments

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - The Shard: Fight with Sideways and company


	34. The Fate of Two Worlds

AN:

Transformers on Earth

Autobots

· Optimus Prime

· Ratchet

· Ironhide

· Bumblebee

· Sideswipe

· Arcee

· Chromia

· Hawk

· Smokescreen

· Que/Wheeljack

· Jetfire

· Dino/Mirage

· Roadbuster

· Leadfoot

· Topspin

· Brains

· Wheelie

Major Decepticons

· Megatron

· Sentinel Prime

· Starscream

· Sideways

· Shockwave

· Soundwave

· Onslaught

· Breakdown

· Knockout

· Thundercracker

· Skywarp

· Swindle

· Barricade

· Sharpshot

· Hardshell

· Kickback

* * *

"Fine. Take your comrades and go…but Knockout?"

The red Con stopped moving at his question.

"I better not see you again, because if I do, we will _not _meet on friendly terms."

Knockout snarled as he helped Breakdown to his feet and started carrying Sideways. "Got that right."

A half-minute later, and the retreating Decepticons were out of sight.

Hawk turned to his partner and gave him a pat, sending a nod in Smokescreen's direction as his student regained his footing. "Thank you both. I…don't think I could've survived that without you."

"No problem, boss."

"Always, _ner vod_."

…

5:52 PM

Chicago, IL

2 years after the death of the Fallen

"You sure you're okay?"

Hawk turned to Smokescreen and nodded. "Go where you're needed. Optimus still needs help."

"But I sent Jetfire after him ten minutes ago," Cade pointed out.

Hawk shook and tapped his head. "Comm. burst. He never made it. The other members of Starscream's trine decided to go for round two when he didn't have backup." He scoffed. "Cowards."

"Trine?"

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, and him. They form a trine—" He shook his head. "It's complicated. Doesn't matter. Smokescreen, go help the Wreckers get Optimus free."

The younger Bot saluted. "Yes sir." He transformed and sped off toward the glass building, leaving Caden and Hawk on the front.

Cade turned to his partner. "Now what? Where's the fire?"

Hawk put a finger to his helm and wore a frown of concentration. "Hard to tell. None of the Autobots are answering my calls."

Caden pulled up a map of the area on his HUD, showing the locations of the Autobots. His eyebrows knitted together at the close proximity of the majority of them. "They're alive…and they're close…but they're clustered together." His voice sharpened. "And they're not moving." His helmet snapped shut.

"Let's roll!" Hawk transformed and let his partner in, accelerating to get to the location as Caden guided him.

They turned the corner of a building right next to a series of raised bridges, proceeding more cautiously and sticking to cover as they drove ever closer to Sentinel and the pillars, a nasty feeling in their guts as the spacebridge activated.

They rounded another corner just in time to see Barricade execute Que.

"No!" they yelled in tandem, just over a mile away, but with clear enough line of sight to see as the inventor was blown to pieces.

Heart hammering in his chest, Caden's breathing became labored. Que had been…so much. An ally, a quartermaster...a friend. He could only imagine how Hawk was feeling, having known him for centuries, millennia even. Before he knew what was happening, Caden was actually shoved out of Hawk's cabin as he transformed, collapsing into a crouch and leaning heavily on his arms. His optics were darkened, and for a moment, Caden thought he'd been more damaged in his fight with Sideways than he'd thought, but then his fists clenched and unclenched, and his face twisted in grief.

"Hawk," Cade interrupted, laying a hand on his arm, "we need to do something."

"Can't," he responded in a choked whisper. "Too many. Won't…survive. Need a plan."

Caden pressed his lips together tightly and stared at the group of captured Autobots, mind racing a thousand miles an hour as he tried to calculate a plan of attack that wouldn't get them both killed. It was impossible. There were far too many Decepticons, and between that and the sudden pain in his chest, Caden was having a hell of a time trying to think tactically. The moment he realized this was the moment Soundwave grabbed Bumblebee by the neck.

"No," Cade breathed out, grief suddenly replaced by rage. "Hawk."

The Bot looked up from the ground, and when he spotted the youngling being hauled off to his death, all grief and pain left his expression, his optics narrowing in a way that Caden knew meant death for anyone he directed them at. "They wouldn't…dare."

"We have to do something." Drake shook his head. "Screw getting out alive. We're not letting them go down without a fight."

"You're damn right," Hawk hissed, his battle mask forming around his features as his rage fed unbelievable amounts of strength into his circuits. "Let's go!" he roared, transforming into his Lambo mode and shifting to Stealth Force mode as Caden took to the skies. "Hit 'em high, I'll nail 'em low!"

"Take 'em!" Cade agreed, closing the distance in time with the overdriven Hawk.

They could see Sam and Carly hiding under a nearby car, a short-circuited boomstick at his side as they helplessly watched the execution unfold. Caden deployed his machine pistols and took aim on Soundwave, but he was out of range even for his Cyber-assisted aim. As they approached the group, weapons at the ready, they knew they wouldn't get there in time. Soundwave raised one of his hypersonic blasters to the back of Bumblebee's head, the barrel warming with energy as Bee transmitted a blanket comm. message to every Cybertronian in range.

"We gave 'em a hell of a run."

Hearts and sparks stalled at that statement when a lightning-fast glance to the map on Caden's HUD revealed two Autobot signatures…far above them. And that's when fighters started raining out of the sky, one of them landing directly between Bee and Soundwave.

In the split-second that it took him to process what was happening, all present knew that the young Bot was just as pissed about the death of his friend, and a malevolent internal smile came to Hawk's face as he saw the battle mask snap over Bee's features. Bumblebee spun counterclockwise, hooking Soundwave in the face and spinning another rotation, leaping in the air to kick him in the chest as the Con let off two poorly aimed shots. Bee's right hand morphed into his plasma cannon as he took advantage of his disorientation and plugged his chest with a plasma round. Caden's eyes drifted upward as he tracked the signatures of two Autobots coming from a seizing Decepticon warship, its innards dropping fighters like flies as they sabotaged its propulsion systems.

A malevolent smile came to Caden's face. _Way to go, little guys. _Two armor-piercing missiles slammed into corresponding Decepticon protoforms as he and his partner engaged the enemy, relief over seeing Bee alive not overcoming the initial rage of Que's death. Hawk slammed into a Combaticon, firing a gauss pistol at a retreating Barricade, the fake cop car returning fire with his explosive blaster as high-velocity rounds slammed into his chassis. Caden let loose a stream of depleted energon rounds, forcing him to transform and drive away at maximum speed as the partners worked together with the newly freed Autobots to eliminate their former captors. Hawk drove a Cybertanium blade into the neck of a protoform, diving toward a Vehicon and drawing the Sword of Primus as he slashed off his legs at the knees, stealing a glance toward a furiously fighting Bumblebee.

Bee leapt toward a protoform after letting loose a series of missiles, his grip on the Con's head spinning him onto its back as he fired his cannon into its head twice, blowing it apart. As he fell with the dead Decepticon, he fired into Soundwave's chest twice, ducking under more fire and letting loose with automatic plasma fire. He ducked a sloppy hook on Soundwave's part, spinning to deliver a roundhouse kick to his chest and ducking another hypersonic blast before the Con grabbed his door wings and used them to throw him 20 feet away. Hawk watched in admiration as the youngling rolled on impact, spinning mid-roll to fire into Soundwave's knee, taking the force out of an uppercut and grabbing him by the collar as he shoved his cannon between the Con's chestplates, firing once and blowing his head off.

Caden and Hawk took a quick look around, noting the sudden lack of opposition due to enemy deaths or retreats, then looking up at the warship as it pitched over and crashed into the river. Drake's helmet retracted, and he pressed his lips together solemnly. _Your sacrifice will not be in vain._ Caden and Hawk looked up to see the distant image of Cybertron in the sky.

"Holy mother of…woah. He actually did it."

Hawk scowled and nodded. "We don't have much time now. Ratchet!" He jogged over to the green Autobot medic, who was crouched over what was left of Que. "Is there anything you can do…long-term, I mean?"

The old CMO looked up at him mournfully and shook his head. "His spark was shattered, just like Jolt's."

Hawk's fists and teeth clenched. "Bastards. I'm gonna kill Barricade for this."

"Better do it quick," Caden interrupted, running over to them, one finger on his earpiece, "'cause it looks like NEST is about to do it for you."

"Oh, not on _my_ watch they're not." Hawk transformed and opened his side door as Caden leapt in, giving Sam and Carly a nod as they climbed into Bumblebee, joining their formation as they sped toward the front lines.

…

6:00 PM

Smokescreen reached the glass building and the cranes next to it just as the Wreckers snapped the last cable holding Optimus down. He, like the other Autobots, had just heard the news about Que through a comm. burst from Hawk. Needless to say, their leader was pissed. _I missed it, _Smoke thought in frustration as he watched Optimus fly off, his optics drifting across the street to see a small crater in the pavement. As he approached it, he transformed, optics widening as he realized what had caused it and smiled. _I'm gonna make the boss-bot proud._

…

6:01 PM

Lennox ascended to the 45th floor of a building overlooking the Decepticons' next checkpoint, Epps taking the 3rd with a few well-placed gunners as the colonel took his paratroopers up.

"All right," he said, "two snipers, right here!" He pointed to a pair of windows in a strategic location. "All right, dock up!"

"We jump in three minutes," a soldier shouted from another window overlooking the enemy.

"All right. Set up." Lennox could hear a rough Cybertronian voice below him and looked down to see Barricade shouting at his troops, Shockwave looking on malevolently.

"Stand by to jump," another soldier said over comms., several other paratrooper squads in other positions around the square.

"All right," Lennox ordered, "let's go! Get ready, get ready." He put his hands on his belt as two other soldiers held his shoulders, rearing up like runners in front of the window. The colonel watched as the first squad leapt off a building across the river, diving toward the enemy in a spread-eagled freefall. "Go!" The soldiers obeyed, Lennox at the fore as they too took the plunge.

"Snipers," Epps said over the radio, "take out their eyes."

Several suppressed and high-velocity shots rang out from the men in question a moment or two before the bullets slammed into the optics of Barricade and several protoforms, blinding them as they recoiled in pain.

"All right, demo team," someone else said, "let's crank steel."

The soldiers in question rushed toward the now-blinded Cons, boomsticks and C4 at the ready as they planted both on the legs of their enemies, the paratroopers deploying parachutes above. The explosives detonated a few seconds later, leaving the Decepticons further crippled as they laid into them with automatic fire, killing two protoforms before they had to withdraw behind cover. Barricade fired in several directions, his one good optic giving him half a window of vision as he laid out his hatred on the humans. Cybertronian assault rifles rang out from the remaining protoforms as the paratroopers floated down to their targets. Lennox aimed right for the leader, his parachute falling over the single red optic of Shockwave.

The massive Decepticon spun and thrashed, jostling Lennox as he yelled and reached for his harness, cutting the cables and sliding to a stop as he aimed his weapon directly for Shockwave's chest, several high-heat, high-caliber rounds smacking into the armor plating as the rest of his team opened fire as well. Still half-blinded by Lennox's parachute, Shockwave didn't see another paratrooper land directly on his shoulder, raising a rifle-mounted grenade launcher and firing into his neck. Shockwave groped at the pained spot, shoving the soldier off his shoulder and landing him backfirst on a car. Lennox sprinted over to him and pulled him off, recognizing him as the first volunteer to hit back.

"Good job, kid," he complimented as he gave him a pat on the back and hauled him to his feet.

"Fire!" Epps yelled to his team, who all opened up on Shockwave from the third floor of a nearby building, laying down lead and sabot rounds as he roared in pain, trying to target them and failing miserably.

Several car engines were heard from a distance, and more high-caliber automatic weapons were heard as the Wreckers rolled in, adding their fire to the mix and blinding Shockwave as his optic fell out of its socket, barely suspended by a coil of wires.

"He's on the run!"

…

6:04 PM

Hawk, Caden, and the other Autobots rolled in just as Shockwave withdrew to Sentinel's end of the street, the Bots transforming and leaping to their feet with the exception of Bumblebee.

"Autobots," Sideswipe shouted, "attack!"

Sam and Carly climbed out of Bee before he transformed, Ratchet taking command of a human demo crew and ordering them to target a bridge and a Decepticon mortar team. Hawk transformed, letting Caden out as the human deployed his armor in full and pulled his Daggertail from subspace, adding his fire to the plethora of bullets running both ways as more Decepticons flooded the space between them and Sentinel, who was standing on the building with the control pillar.

"It's our world now!" he shouted. "Commence transport!"

Caden's heart jumped as he and about a dozen others, Sam and Ratchet included, looked up, watching as Cybertron started to grow bigger.

"Oh my God," Sam breathed out a few seconds before gunfire hit the ground not four feet from his position, prompting him to get under cover with Carly, his hand meeting hers as they hunkered down. The sound of a jetpack alerted them to an airborne arrival, and Sam spun toward it as his eyes widened in recognition. "Optimus!"

…

6:05 PM

Optimus saw his Autobots look back at Sam's declaration, hunkering down in cover as their leader descended, battle mask deployed as he flew toward the street, ion cannons firing at maximum rate as he tore into them. He landed in a cloud of flame and smoke, spinning counterclockwise as ion rounds cut through several Decepticons, facing toward Sentinel after one rotation as his jetpack was torn off with his sudden movements, his right cannon piercing the chest plating of an injured Barricade as he let loose a burst of shots into his spark and dumped him unceremoniously on the ground. His cannons fired another series of bursts before he dropped the right one and spun again, sword deploying in lieu of the gun and slashing through the midsection of a protoform as he fired his left cannon into another.

Another spin, and his sword cut upward into the chest of a Decepticon, every move flowing together as he stabbed a Constructicon in the chest, pulling the blade out as he kept running and slashing him in the hip as his left hand dropped its cannon and deployed his second sword, cutting a protoform in two as he charged. There was only one enemy left between him and his old mentor, but he would not deter him today. Shockwave fired his cannon as Optimus dive-rolled over the shot, roaring in fury as he rose to his feet, his left forearm's plating shifting as a set of bladed knuckles deployed over his fist. _This is for the Twins, you glitch!_ The knuckles punched through a large section of Shockwave's left chest, and Optimus turned mid-stride to face him again, hooking him in the face and grabbing him by the neck.

"You die!" he yelled as he bent the assassin and scientist over his knee, reaching down with his right hand and tearing out his optic by the cable. Reaching over to Shockwave's discarded cannon, he lifted it and fired once, demolishing the section of the building that held the control pillar and disrupting the spacebridge.

"No!" Sentinel roared as the pillar hit the ground and sparked, staying immobile and useless as its energy surged haphazardly.

"Get down here, Sentinel!"

"Optimus," his old mentor snarled as he brandished his double-bladed sword, "you forget your place!" He leapt from his perch on the building top, thrusting his sword into its side and slowing his descent as he slammed onto the street level just over 60 feet from his former student and friend. "I bring you Cybertron, your _home_—" he assumed an aggressive ready stance, sword and shield at the ready, "—and still you choose humanity."

Optimus reached for his back, unsubspacing an energon axe and drawing it with his left hand as his right deployed a sword. "You were the one who taught me freedom is everyone's right." He roared as his battle mask snapped shut, charging toward and tackling his old mentor, his axe slashing his left arm as he shoved him against a building and pinned him there.

"I _will _retrigger that pillar!"

"Then, you'll have to go through me!"

Sentinel headbutted and kicked him back, spinning clockwise and slashing with his sword as he drove Optimus back.

…

6:07 PM

Sam spotted Optimus and Sentinel's titanic fight from a distance, his eyes drifting to the fallen control pillar and assessing its threat when Sentinel mentioned it could be reactivated. Pressing his lips together, he set his features determinedly as he rushed over to Carly.

"Okay, I've got to try and help." She started protesting very heavily. "I have to, you stay here."

"Don't you go. Don't go. Sam!"

"Listen to me, stop." He held her face. "You'll be fine, okay? I promise." He let go and stood up. "I gotta get to that pillar." He broke off in a run and joined the soldiers and Autobots, who had the same idea.

"Charge the pillar!" Ratchet shouted as he fired his autocannon, Bee backing him up.

"We got Autobots!" Epps yelled, joining the fray with his team and Lennox.

Sam ran for the pillar, vaulting over a car and sliding under the wreckage of another in his mad dash, bullets and debris flying all around him. He was terrified, but at that moment, all that mattered was ensuring a future for his planet…and for the woman he loved. That thought alone banished all thoughts of quitting, all notions of retreat.

So he pressed on.

…

6:08 PM

Caden and Hawk were the perfect team. Anyone who tried to get close to the Autobots and humans who were charging for the control pillar was either blown apart, chewed through by auto-fire, or slashed to pieces. When they finally found slight respite, Hawk looked toward Optimus and Sentinel, who were engaged in furious combat, before noticing a familiar, bestial figure heading for the control pillar. He pointed at Sharpshot, his optics focusing in fury.

"Let's do it," Caden agreed, running toward him when Hawk got his attention.

"Cade!" He pointed up at a high building next to them.

When Drake's helmet zoomed in on what he was talking about, his eyes narrowed and face twisted in a scowl. "Carmine," he hissed, spotting the man in question on the rooftop, exchanging fire with Kara and Trevor. Caden turned to his partner. "Take care of Sharpshot." His focus turned back to the Italian terrorist. "He's mine."

Hawk nodded to him and watched as he jetpacked up toward the rooftop, taking off for the pillar a second later.

When Cade reached the building, he found Kara and Trevor pinned down by over a dozen Talon mercs plus Carmine, who was taking potshots from the back of the group. "Carmine!" he roared, landing not twenty feet from him.

The older man turned toward him, waving his troops toward the two members of Caden's team and striding toward his nemesis. "Glad you could join our little reunion…although _this _hardly seems fair," he said with a smirk, gesturing to Cade's armor.

Drake smiled nastily as Carmine's empty weapon was tossed aside. "You know what? You're right." A palm to his chest retracted his armor, and he disengaged it from his chest after retrieving an item from its subspace and clipping it onto his belt. "Never thought I'd say this to anyone," he added, drawing his knife, "but I'm going to enjoy killing you." They rushed toward each other with the fury of years of enmity, knowing deep down that only one of them was walking away this time.

…

6:09 PM

Sentinel parried yet another strike from Optimus' axe, slamming him back with his shield and spinning with a sword strike before grinding the edge of his shield across the other Prime's chest plating. "Reinforcements!" he shouted, keeping up the pressure. "Decepticon ships, fire at Optimus!"

The fighters in question shifted their parts and flew toward their duel with deadly intent.

A radio-toting soldier, seeing this, responded instantly. "We're taking fire! I need those Tomahawks launching now!"

"First wave on approach," NEST control said over comms.

"We gotta cover for Optimus!" a soldier shouted as the Wreckers rolled into position on the bridge with the Decepticon mortar crew, firing madly in an attempt at suppression.

Optimus swung at Sentinel's head, spinning midair to throw a flying roundhouse kick. He was kneed in the head and shoved to the ground as Bumblebee backed him up, the Decepticon reinforcements arriving and raining fire down on his position.

"Decepticons," Sentinel shouted as he swung at Bee, "retrigger the pillars! Restart that pillar!"

Optimus pulled an ion blaster from his back after his sword retracted, firing at the incoming fighters desperately. "I can't hold them! The ships have us pinned!" As he sprinted from his rapidly shrinking cover, several missiles struck his position. "No!" he groaned in pain, collapsing as the explosions overtook him.

"Inbound," someone shouted, "ten seconds! Danger close! Mark-Lima-Echo-Echo, one four two five zero!"

One of the soldiers raised a laser designator to his head, painting the fighters as one of the missile controllers transmitted over the radio.

"Target acquired."

Remote-controlled missiles slammed into almost every single Decepticon fighter, crashing the lot of them and eliminating Sentinel's backup as a single human spotted a way to even the odds…a way named Megatron.

…

6:09 PM

"Sharpshot!"

The Con in question wheeled around to face his opponent, raising his electric cannons as Hawk tackled him, rolling over several times before kicking him in the chest. His gauss pistols fired rapidly as Hawk disarmed his opponent, jamming the cannons with high-velocity fire before drop-kicking the Insecticon further away from the inactive control pillar. Sharpshot reached for his back, grabbing one of his clawed appendages and disengaging it, forming it into the curved blades Hawk had seen him use in Georgetown. To Hawk's surprise, he then merged both into a thicker, longer sword about 13 feet long, about half as long as he was tall. Hawk drew the Sword of Primus, charging at him and leaping over his first horizontal strike, countering with a flying knee to the face.

The bestial Insecticon snarled at him, stabbing at him repeatedly as Hawk parried the strikes. Hawk spun counterclockwise, building power for a heated strike that tore slightly into his shoulder, Sharpshot's quick pivot taking force out of the blow and keeping its entry shallow. He slammed Hawk in the face with his left elbow, slashing the blade across his chest plating as the Bot withdrew and reevaluated his tactics, optics drifting briefly to the two human figures approaching the fallen pillar several hundred feet off.

…

6:10 PM

Caden's knife slashed across Carmine's, the terrorist's longer blade allowing him added reach while Cade's shorter and lighter one allowed him more speed and flexibility. Carmine slashed his blade across Caden's forearm in a lucky strike, causing him to grunt in pain and kick him in the lower ribs, charging and parrying his knife-blade while elbowing him in the face with the same arm. A trip-kick was jumped over, and Caden's knife locked with Carmine's in a contest of strength. Carmine managed to turn his knife so that the point dug into the back of Caden's knife-hand, and the younger man dropped the weapon in pain as his opponent lunged for the kill. Drake shifted his body, rolling onto his back and kicking him off before rolling to his feet and leaping toward him in a flying cross. The punch impacted with Carmine's chin solidly, knocking him back a few steps as he gained the upper hand.

…

6:10 PM

"Dylan!" Sam shouted, spotting the man in question climbing through rubble to reach the control pillar. "Dylan, wait! Wait!"

"No!" he yelled at him, pushing a fallen support pillar and rolling it toward Sam.

He tripped over it, then ran up toward him, stopping when Dylan pulled his own gun on him. "Stop, stop! No! You can't do this, okay?"

The crazed, terrified look on his face belied his actions. "There's only one future for me." A loose newspaper landed on his face, blinding him.

Sam took advantage of the opportunity and drove his fist into the side of his knee, causing him to yell in pain and crumble to his knees. He dropped the gun as Sam punched him in the face, Gould shoving him back as he crawled toward the pillar and brought his palm down on it, reactivating the transport system.

…

6:11 PM

Caden flipped over Carmine as he lunged for him, spinning around to kick out his leg and trip him, knocking the knife from his grasp and tossing him six feet away. Carmine rolled into a crouch as he snapped a single-shot holdout pistol from his sleeve and fired it into Caden's lower ribs. Drake recoiled in pain and collapsed to one knee as his armor took the shot, Carmello kicking him onto his back and laying several brutal punches into his face before getting up and walking a few feet away, leaving his bloodied opponent groaning in pain.

"You ever wonder why I joined with the Decepticons," he asked, gazing out into the distance before turning to Caden. "It wasn't because of their winning personalities. You see, I knew they would do _this_—" he motioned to the destruction around them, "—given the power."

Caden grimaced, rising painfully to a crouch. "So this was your plan all along? The mass genocide of the human race? Our species' destruction?!"

"No," he laughed. "Our _salvation_."

Drake's eyes widened as he realized his implication.

"Raden had the right idea when he thought to unite our race through a common threat. His only mistake was thinking that that threat could come from within." He smiled. "Then I met Skywarp…and I had the solution." He motioned once again to the utter devastation surrounding them. "Think of this as _Obschego Vraga_, take two." He approached Caden's kneeling form, leaning toward him slightly. "And this time, you can't stop it." He drew back, turning his hips and lunging forward with a powerful haymaker aimed at Caden's head. It never landed. Carmine's eyes widened as Drake's left hand palmed his right fist, trembling slightly as he held it a full foot from his face. He threw another punch with his left hand, and Caden caught that one too as he hissed his response.

"Watch me." Caden's grip was like a vise, tightening around his fists as he slowly rose to his feet, shaking with exertion and rage as his features twisted into a scowl, eyes locking with his opponent's before headbutting him. He roared in rage as he released his hands and kneed him in the lower chest, hooking him in the jaw and driving him back with renewed fury.

…

6:13 PM

"You chose sides?!" Dylan planted a kick on Sam's chest as he tried to hold himself up between two pillars. "You chose wrong." Another kick knocked him down eight feet, the man falling unconscious as his back planted on the ground.

…

6:13 PM

Hawk deflected another sword strike from Sharpshot, his left-hand blade slashing in tandem with the Sword of Primus as he dueled the larger Decepticon. Rage over Sharpshot's actions, both in the past and in Chicago, all the death and suffering he'd inflicted over his life, fed Hawk's strikes as he turned the tables, driving him back step by step, not caring as he was disarmed of the Sword and pressing his attack. Hawk slashed his left blade across Sharpshot's left shoulder, lunging for him again before realizing his mistake. The Con spun around his strike, using his momentum to shove him further and thrust his blade through Hawk's back. The sword's edge ground painfully against the side of his spark chamber, going all the way through his chest before being pulled back out as he threw him to the ground, stabbing him through the left elbow. Hawk tried to regain his footing, but the cruel Con kicked him down again, rolling him over and planting his foot on his chest as he raised his jagged blade with a gleeful grin on his face.

Which is when half of his back armor was blown off. A fusion cannon rang out several times as Smokescreen charged toward Sharpshot with a furious yell, leaping over his head as he tossed the cannon aside and kicked him in the face on his way down, engaging him hand-to-hand as his teacher tried to recover.

…

6:13 PM

Sentinel shoved Bumblebee aside and shot Sideswipe dead in the chest as a soldier shouted.

"Again!"

A rocket slammed into Sentinel's chest, bowling him over with concussive force alone.

"Die!"

Sentinel grunted and snarled in pain as he started to run, subspacing his sword and shield as he transformed and drove away, Optimus in hot pursuit. He got as far as a bridge when a furious Optimus tackled him, slashing his sword as he barely ducked under the strike, brandishing weapons and spinning away. His shield deflected an axe strike as Optimus' rage drove him back steadily.

"Always the bravest of us," Sentinel said as he fell into a defensive stance, barely keeping his student at bay. His shield was the only barrier between himself and a series of powerful strikes, his right hand bracing himself against the side of the bridge as Optimus laid into him. His shield was knocked aside, and Optimus' sword cut into his shoulder as Sentinel lunged away from the wall. "But you could never make the hard decisions!" He spun, slashing his sword at Optimus' shoulder and lunging a second later, thrusting his blade in a jumping stab as Optimus deflected the strike with his axe. "Our planet _will_ survive!"

Optimus' axe was knocked from his hand as he made a last-ditch stab at his mentor's chest. "No!" His sword arm was kicked to the side after the blade was shield-bashed back, Sentinel's sword stabbing into his right shoulder and twisting, severing his arm. Optimus groaned in pain at his missing appendage, falling to his knees and recoiling when Sentinel slammed his shield against his chassis, knocking him against the side of the bridge. Optimus crawled away from him as Sentinel stabbed his left shoulder.

"We were gods once, all of us!"

Optimus pushed up and grabbed his chestplates. "Please," he pleaded, wishing with all of his spark that the good he once knew in him could stop his madness.

Sentinel just kicked him off and dropped his shield. "But here, there will only be _one_!" He raised his sword two-handedly, aiming the point for Optimus' neck and readying to take the kill.

Optimus' optics spun around when a fusion cannon fired, its explosive payload slamming into Sentinel's back as Megatron charged toward him, weapon raised and firing repeatedly as Sentinel tried to spin toward him. Megatron grabbed his back and spun him, throwing him against the side of the bridge hard and disarming him as he laid blow after blow into the Prime.

"This—is—my—planet!" Megatron roared as he used his cannon as a club, kicking off the top of Sentinel's helm and tearing out whole chunks of his armor.

Optimus focused on regaining his footing, desperately trying to suppress the pain, as he knew it was just a matter of time before Megatron turned on him.

…

6:15 PM

Caden and Carmine circled each other on the building's top, the former lunging forward and thrust-kicking his opponent down a floor onto a gravel-littered rooftop.

"You can't—stop it!"

"Enough, Carmine! It's over!"

"It is over," he panted, "when I _say_ it's over!"

He lunged at Caden, but Drake had had enough. He'd had enough of the man's schemes, of his sadistic crimes. He was done cleaning up the messes of the past, done atoning for the sins of Kara's father.

So he charged right on back, leaning down and driving his shoulder into Carmine's gut as he grabbed him, driving him toward the edge of the sixty-story rooftop and tackling him off. Without his armor, Caden free-fell toward the city street, and Carmine smiled at the knowledge that they would both die until Drake smiled back, his left hand pulling a metal object from the back of his belt. He kicked off the Italian terrorist as his grapple glove deployed, its head punching into the side of a building and swinging him through a window, landing in a roll as Carmine fell to his death.

…

6:15 PM

Dylan Gould spun around when he sensed a presence behind him, spotting a very pissed Sam Witwicky holding a rebar club. He smirked. "I just saved a whole other world. You think you're a hero, huh? You think you're a hero?!"

"No," Sam said mockingly, "I'm just a messenger." He yelled in anger as he charged at Gould, smacking the end of his club into his head and knocking him back into the active pillar, watching as a deadly amount of electricity shocked him to death, then dropping the club and panting.

"The pillar's still connected!" Leadfoot shouted from a ways off as he and his Wrecker comrades tore a Decepticon apart.

"Let's go!" Epps shouted, sprinting toward Sam. "Bring it up!"

"Bee!" Lennox called, spotting the yellow Bot moving with them. "Let's go, let's go! Pillar's still connected!"

"Rip that pillar down!" Roadbuster ordered.

"Wait!" Ratchet called, holding his hands up and stepping between them and the device, then looking up into the sky, where several Decepticon fighters were engaging their resident Aerialbot. "Jetfire!"

The Bot in question fired a cluster of missiles, scattering them before descending to street level and transforming.

Ratchet rushed up to him and spoke in a desperate flurry of words. "You know more about spacebridge tech than any of us. Can you reverse the transport? Send Cybertron back _without_ harming it?"

Jetfire scratched his chin, frowning deeply in concentration. "It's possible. If I deploy my own bridge stream next to the control pillar with a reversed polarity and intensify the current, the safety systems in the pillar should kick in and automatically reverse the beam. I have to warn you though, if it doesn't, there's a chance that the bridge could malfunction and destroy the planet."

"If this doesn't work," Ratchet said resignedly, "Cybertron is dead anyway. Do it."

Sparks danced between the pillar and Jetfire as he disengaged his bridge generator and activated it, calibrating it very precisely and setting it next to the control pillar. As the streams crossed, the pillar kept sputtering and sparking, its systems overloading trying to compensate with the added strain. Everyone present held their breath in anticipation, as the next few seconds would decide the fate of Cybertron. Finally, the pillar's safety systems engaged just as predicted, reversing its transport beam and adding its force to Jetfire's, sending Cybertron back through the wormhole in a matter of seconds.

"Now," Jetfire ordered firmly, hands grasping his generator, "destroy it!"

Ratchet fired his weapon into it several times before Bumblebee sprinted toward it, tackling the damaged pillar and shattering it. The portal collapsed, several beams arcing down and grabbing warships and fighters, pulling them through to the other side before vanishing completely. Cybertron had been saved…for now.

…

6:17 PM

"No," Megatron breathed out, tossing Sentinel aside as he saw Cybertron vanish and turning to Optimus. "We need a truce. All I wanted was to be back in charge. Besides—" he raised a finger and pointed at Optimus, "—who would you be without _me_, Prime?"

In the split-second between Megatron's question and Optimus' response, the Prime's processor ran at lightning speed. Now that Megatron's plan had been foiled, there was no reason for him to fight. On the other hand, he knew from experience that his former friend would _find_ a reason to fight. His processor drifted back to Cybertron, to the first days of the war. He thought of the cause of Cybertron's death in the first place, of Megatron's irresponsible and careless use of dark energon. He thought of all the millennia that he had allowed him to live, hoping, praying to Primus that he would realize the error of his ways and turn from them. He thought of the destruction, the massacres, both on Cybertron and Earth. He thought of everything that Megatron was and had ever been, of the mech that he had once called friend and brother. And he scowled as he realized that there was only one growling answer to his question.

"Time to find out."

As his heavily damaged battle mask snapped shut, he charged for Megatron, his left arm reaching for his fallen axe and throwing it into his chest, spinning around a shot from his cannon and kicking out his right leg. His left hand reached for the axe's handle, pulling it out as he swept behind Megatron, driving the blade of his glowing weapon into the Decepticon lord's head and heaving with a furious roar, pulling his head off with half of his spinal cord. Megatron's optics dimmed for good as Optimus dumped the axe and its grisly contents on the ground of the bridge.

…

6:17 PM

Smokescreen had been beaten. Sharpshot turned one of his own plasma cannons on him before kicking him hard, stabbing him in the leg with his sword and raising it to behead him.

"Sharpshot!" Hawk roared from behind, raising a finger and pointing at him. "I'm not done with you."

Sharpshot grinned at him nastily, shoving Smoke down and striding toward Hawk a few steps. "Foolish Autobots. Never know when to stay down. Always playing the hero."

Hawk narrowed his optics and shook his head slightly. "I'm not a hero at all." His optics spotted the fallen Sword of Primus, less than ten feet away, lying between him and Sharpshot, before they returned to the Insecticon as he set his features. "But I _am_ worthy."

His battle mask snapped shut as he deployed his right-hand blade, throwing it into Sharpshot's right shoulder and injuring his sword arm as he sprinted toward him, his now-empty hand reaching for the Sword of Primus, the blade heating at his touch and slashing up and left as the Con swung his sword at him. Hawk yelled as his legendary sword slashed Sharpshot's in two, arms moving at lightning speed and aiming for his injured left shoulder, cutting downward and severing his arm before spinning clockwise and cutting through his right knee. The Insecticon collapsed to his knees as Hawk held the Sword upright, two-handedly, a furious roar building in his vocal processors as the blade went white-hot.

He released his rage as he cut upward and left, the Sword of Primus bisecting Sharpshot from hip to shoulder. As his limp, dead form hit the ground, Hawk vented and recycled his energon in satisfaction.

_Justice, _he thought, _at long last._

…

6:18 PM

"Optimus, all I ever wanted was the survival of our race."

Optimus Prime reached down with his left hand, grabbing the handle of Megatron's fusion cannon and lifting it as he strode over to his former mentor.

"You must see why...I had to betray you."

Optimus' optics narrowed. Like many others, the war had changed Sentinel. He had started in this conflict as a warrior and inventor, forging the weapons to win the war and inspiring the troops. Over time, though, he had lost hope. The one thing he was supposed to give to others, he had lost himself. He was the one who had forgotten his place, both as an Autobot and as a Prime. He had tried to use his power to fix Cybertron to the detriment of his values, compromised everything he was and had stood for for a fleeting chance at survival. And because of it, he had tried and nearly succeeded in killing Ironhide. He had willfully ordered the slaughter of thousands of humans. He had even displaced Megatron as leader of the Decepticons, proven himself to be just as rotten and depraved. Optimus scowled and looked down at his mentor with a mix of pity and disgust. It was Megatron all over again…and he was done dealing with the likes of Megatron.

"You didn't betray me," he growled, raising the cannon. "You betrayed yourself."

"No, Optimus!" Sentinel shouted in realization a moment before his former student fired the cannon.

Optimus raised and charged the weapon again, unloading another shot directly in Sentinel's processor, leaving a burning, smoking hole in his head.

A series of whirs went through his chassis as he stepped back and tossed the fusion cannon aside. His audio receptors picked up the rumble of engines behind him, and he turned to face an approaching Bumblebee, half of NEST walking in behind him. Sam exited his guardian and stood next to him as he transformed, Optimus smiling at the boy slightly and nodding. His bright blue optics drifted to the other side of the bridge, and he saw another familiar human figure striding toward him.

…

6:19 PM

Caden strode across the bridge toward Optimus, panting slightly from the events of the last few hours. He blinked several times as his eyes swept over the bridge, spotting Sam as he looked past him, rushing toward Caden's side of the bridge and embracing Carly tightly, their lips meeting as he lifted her into the air. He turned away from the private moment, looking blankly at the ground as a soft hand punched his arm lightly.

"Hey."

He turned toward the source of the voice and blow, heart leaping from his chest in joy as he threw his arms around Kara, pressing her body against his as they held each other tightly. He spun her in the air, and she giggled as he finally brought her down, holding her close and looking over her shoulder to see Sam nod to him. He smiled and returned the gesture.

"So," Kara whispered to him, "it's finally over. Decepticons, Talon, Carmine." She smiled gently. "It's all over."

"Yes," he agreed, pressing his lips to hers gently and drawing back, eyes closed, their foreheads together. "Finally."

But deep down, he knew it wasn't. There was an uncomfortable feeling in his gut, a seed of doubt that Carmine had planted, and he knew that, in a way, his old enemy had been right. He knew the truth about his kind. That humanity was a fickle, vindictive race. He knew that what Sentinel and the Decepticons had done would stay in people's minds, and that despite everything the Autobots had done, humans would blame them. The way they so easily exiled them was proof of that, in his opinion.

When he opened his eyes and looked at a triumphant, smiling Optimus, who nodded to him and a newly arrived Hawk, he could only hope that he was wrong. Like everyone else still standing, Caden Drake was so very tired of war.

…

In any war, there are calms between storms. There will be days when we lose faith. Days when our allies turn against us. But the day will never come that we forsake this planet…and its people.

I am Optimus Prime of the Autobots, and I send this message to any sentient beings living among the stars. If you be friend, then come and help us build a better world. But if you be foe, be warned.

We will defend this planet—and its people—to our dying sparks.

* * *

AN: Dark of the Moon is over. Cybertron has been saved from destruction, and the Decepticons and Talon have finally been defeated. A new age has begun.

Sadly, I will be updating less and less. School is kicking my _shebs_, and this seems like a very good place to stop for now. I have immensely enjoyed writing this story thus far, and believe it or not, it's still not over. Lots and lots of filler to write, but again, that's gonna have to wait. Got a future to prepare for.

I really hope you enjoyed this massive, action-packed story arc, as well as the changes that occurred because of my characters.

_Oya, ner vode_, and as always, please review and recommend.

Season 3 finale!

Musical Inspirations:

Appropriate DOTM tracks for movie moments

B.o.B. - New York, New York: Optimus' message and Epilogue (Yes, I know they're in Chicago. It's a triumphant song, and IMO, New York is a heck of a lot cooler than Chicago)

P.S.: Consider what follows to be what happens during the first section of the credits. The drama king in me just couldn't help it. :P

* * *

Epilogue

...

6:24 PM

Chicago, IL

Trevor Korde strode toward Caden and the others, spotting a now-familiar silver and blue Autobot standing next to Elizabeth and smiling. Drake and Hawk were busy laughing at something Kara had said, the former toting his retracted armor's disc-like form now that Aria had returned it to him. There was only one thing Trevor cared about right then, though, and it wasn't fancy armor. The shorter brunette near Smokescreen spotted him coming a dozen feet off and let her smile drop to a light smirk as she strode toward him. He reached out one hand as she raised hers—and recoiled when she slapped him in the face. The utterly shocked, confused expression on his face was priceless.

"Don't you _ever _tell me to just 'step aside and let you handle it' again."

Trevor sighed heavily and rolled his eyes as Smokescreen and Sideswipe giggled in the background, grabbing her arms tightly before she could slap him again and pulling her toward him, their faces inches apart as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Anything else you want to scold me about," he asked cheekily.

She pouted at him for a few seconds. "Nah."

"Good, cause I hate talking."

His lips met hers a second later, pressing together gently at first, then harder as they both finally gave into what had grown between them over the last few days. She hummed into his mouth as they melted into each other's arms, oblivious to the world around them, or the fact that three sets of cameras were recording their kiss, two for posterity, one for blackmail. When they heard Sideswipe's giggle from the side, they felt the moment end, and Trevor rolled his eyes, knowing that they'd pay for doing it so publicly. Caden and Kara were smiling at the both of them, and as Sam and Carly joined them with Bumblebee, the three Autobot guardians boxed in their respective charges, greeting one another and complimenting each other on their battlefield performances.

A hand tapped Korde's shoulder, and he looked to find Caden's extended right hand. He took and shook it before offering his hand to Liz. She beamed at him and grabbed it, clutching their hands to her chest as she snuggled against him.

Bumblebee, ever the helpful wingman, started playing the Lion King's _Can You Feel the Love Tonight?_  


A universal roar of laughter came from all of them as Aria joined the group, sharing in their mirth.

Caden looked around at his friends, his family, and held Kara closer, nuzzling her hair and closing his eyes as a gentle, satisfied smile crept to his face and stayed there.


End file.
